


The Children of the Crows

by DanaiaCake



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Magical Boys, Fluff, Hinata's Brother, KageHina - Freeform, Light Angst, M/M, Magic-Users, More Pairings to Come - Freeform, More characters to come, Original Characters - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, This will be long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-20 02:05:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9470579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanaiaCake/pseuds/DanaiaCake
Summary: Hinata was the child of fire—warm and comforting. But get closer and you’ll burn.Kageyama was the child of ice—cold and unwelcoming. But fire could melt it away.---An alternate universe fanfiction for KageHina where the two of them (and the rest of the Haikyuu cast) are in a magical world with people owning powers called “gifts” and they are called “specials”.Their age here is a bit older than they actually are, but it’s only just a number. More characters will be added soon and more relationships, too so expect more tags to be added.





	1. The First Snow of Winter

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! :) Hope you enjoy this KageHina alternate universe fanfiction. Kudos and comments are always appreciated. Seriously, they give me life. <3

It started snowing today.

Shouyo felt it even before the first snowflake was carried by the wind and settled at the concrete above them. He didn't need to see it to know it was there as their windowless classroom is located deep underground, below the old building of Karasuno High School where he and the rest of the  _specials,_ as they were commonly called, hold their classes.

He looked around the class, his eyes adjusting at the dim lights of their classroom, wondering if anybody else noticed the sudden drop of temperature. Only his best friend, Hitoka Yachi, who was sitting three desks away from him, seemed to notice the way he unconsciously fidgeted in his seat. 

She gave him a small smile, her brown eyes reflecting his face and he recognized a rather spooked expression looking back at him. Of course, a natural empath, she knew how uneasy he becomes whenever the temperature drops. He tried to reassure her by smiling back; he didn't know why he bothered to do it since he knew she could easily look through that weak facade of his. But at least, he had to appear that he was trying to be strong, anyway.

Before the girl could question him on his disturbed expression, he already turned away. He looked at the rest of the class made up of five more students. Aside from him and Yachi, there were four more boys in the room. Each of them owning a  _gift_  which qualified them to be in this special class for their kind. 

Here, they hone their gifts until they are worthy enough to become full-pledged  _keepers_ of the  _Order of the Crows_ —a secret organization focused on studying the occult and protecting the secrets of magical users or _specials_. The Order has spanned from the time of the feudal lords of Japan up to this modern-age of technology, led by generations of  _Secret Chiefs_ coming from different influential and powerful clans.

For many years, the Order has withstood and endured through the different times and political disputes in the land and that is all because of the clans keeping it together, protecting the knowledge and power cloaked under the pretense of normalcy and its non-existence.

Still, it felt like an epiphany to him even if it had already been a year since he studied under the order's tutelage. This wasn't something he chose, he belonged to a family with generations of  _keepers_ —the Shouyo’s had served the Order for centuries now using their ability to manipulate fire. Like in any other families, not everyone has the  _gift_ —only him and his late half older brother, Shuichi were blessed to have it among their siblings—the latter accepted it more willingly than him.

He wanted nothing more but a normal high school life, even when he knew all along that he was very different from neither his younger sister nor his friends back in middle school. Shuichi was a natural talent, according to their parents, and he attributed it to the fact that he was proud to be a  _special_. Shouyo's power didn't come easily however; in fact, it didn't manifest itself until a year ago, when Shuichi suddenly died.

A shiver ran down his spine as a cold breeze blew... except there was no wind at all. The bricked walls of the classroom looked as bleak and dark as they were yesterday, only lit by four torches in all corners, enough to light the important parts of the room, but not enough to remove the scary shadows everyone cast against the walls. There were huge shelves lining the walls behind their study area, all of them filled with messy collections of dusty books—things that neither he nor his classmates even dared pick up, unless they needed to. Overall, the room looked old and unwelcoming, and he could faintly recall the first time he went here when he was eight, not to attend classes but just to see where his brother studied.

Shuichi was seven years older than him and Shouyo clutched at his arm tightly as if it was his lifeline. He didn't want to enter, the shadows scared him and the teacher didn't look friendly at all. But his brother was there and when he tugged at him for the tenth time, he crouched down to look at him, pushing his glasses up his nose and smiling brightly.  _"Don't worry, Shouyo. I'm just here. You'll be alright."_

Another cold breeze blew even if he knew there was just no way it could be possible.  _Maybe, it wasn't the wind; maybe they were the memories making him cold_. He hugged himself, running his hand up and down his bare arms as fire from the torches flickered in attention. He had to calm down, he thought, thankful that none of them noticed how his anxiety was affecting the fire.

All of his classmates were in deep concentration, staring at the water-filled glasses sitting in front of their tables. There were still no movements in anybody's glass, including his, and he wondered if he could just fake it and bump his chair ever so slightly just so he could be done with this exercise today and go home. He was exhausted beyond belief. He hugged himself closer, warming himself up—maybe, it wasn't a good idea to wear a casual shirt today without his coat.

He never went out without his coat, or even a scarf because he knew how sensitive he is to cold. But his logic totally left him that morning, that when he went for school this morning, that he put on the first clothes he pulled out from his messy cabinet—which was a plain white cotton shirt and a worn-out pair of jeans—neither of them, offered any sort of warmth right now. He had been spacing out a lot lately.

He hadn't had any decent sleep for a week now. It was also not out of wont, but rather a repetitive exasperating dream bugging him every time he settled down to sleep. The repetition of the dream, pestered him the most, and he had long given up on the idea that the dream was just a dream... The third time he experienced it, he knew it meant something—what it was, he wasn't sure yet. The dream—wasn't a nightmare, it wasn't scary but it was... bothersome, to say the least.

In the dream, he would always find himself locked inside a dark and very cold room, his bare feet burned by the cold of the ice beneath his feet. He would always feel fear grip his heart as he stood there, in the middle of nowhere. Then he would always hear a voice and would always attempt to follow it to whichever direction it came from. In each dream, the voice would always come in different locations, but he would always wind up to the same spot—the middle of the room. Sitting there, right in front of him would be a huge icy crystal glittering in the darkness, offering the only bit of light in the shadowy place.

He would always walk towards the crystal, enthralled by its sheer size and beauty. It was ice, he was sure of it, as the coldness would always start to consume him. He would try to produce fire in his hand, but the room was too cold for him to concentrate. The voice would call out to him from the ice crystal and he would see a shadowy figure trapped inside the ice, urging him to crush and melt the ice before him. He would reach out to touch it... but before his hand could even feel the harsh coldness, he'd wake up.

The dream had always been the same—and it wasn't getting any clearer or more vivid compared to the previous ones. The only thing getting worse, was the cold.

The door to the classroom slammed open and seven heads quipped up as Ukai-sensei walked in. As always, he looked bored and uninterested, scratching his terribly bleached hair pushed back by a rather unfashionable head band. He wasn't really the perfect epitome of a teacher—he always walked with a slouch and his clothes are usually unkempt. But he was a nice teacher—a bit scruffy and rough on the edges, but would go great lengths to help and protect his students.

"So, anybody made any progress yet?" He asked, yawning.

Suddenly, the room came to life as a collection of grunts and complaints rose everywhere.

"How are we supposed to do this anyway? We can't manipulate water!" Tsukishima Kei—the tallest guy in their class, whose  _gift_ is the ability to conjure a  _tulpa_  or a phantom, groaned in frustration. He was becoming increasingly frustrated that a dark body-less and shadowy phantom started floating right by his shoulder. Shouyo, in particular, is amazed and scared of his gift. Besides, Tsukishima never really got along with anybody in their class except for his childhood friend, Yamaguchi Tadashi who was born with the gift of air.

"Are you trying to intimidate me with that?" Ukai-sensei asked, humor evident in his voice. Nobody really knew what Ukai-sensei’s gifts are, but there were rumors in their class about him being one of the most powerful  _mimics_  in the Order. Mimics are an advanced case of the  _specials_  as they can copy anybody else's gifts. Of course, these were just rumors and they had never seen it happen first-hand. He yawned again as if to emphasize his boredom, "Anyway, our class is dismissed today."

"Eh?"

"Why?"

He shook his head in obvious annoyance, "You guys... Just a few moments ago you were complaining about the exercise. Now, that I'm telling you, you could already leave and you act like this."

He was right of course. Ukai-sensei, no matter how nice he seemed to be, does give really challenging exercises, sometimes without even considering what his students' original gifts are. He would lecture them that in order for them to understand and develop their gifts more properly, they need to try out other things. Shouyo found no problem in trying—but he definitely has issues in failing.

Ever since his brother died last year on a  _work-related accident_ , he always felt second best and the pressure of not disappointing his parents or putting the family name into shame has been growing more and more ominously every day. Of course, his parents were not vocal about it—they were just happy he finally embraced this part of him that had been sleeping inside him all along. But at the same time, he knew he had to make up for the lost time he spent without training.

He knew he had very big shoes to fill, if he wanted to replace his brother. Shuichi was a strong fighter. Straight from middle school, he started training under the  _Order_  and had worked as one of the Secret Chief' steward after only a year of training. He became a full-pledged  _keeper_  after two years. The training was hard, and normally, it would take a good five years before you could be a fledgling keeper, but Shuichi was a  _genius_  as they called him. He could conjure and control fire easily—something Shouyo had always admired. He was proud of his older brother, even if he never really totally understood the danger of working under the Order.

 _The Order of the Crows_  is a strong and powerful organization—and it bred a lot of powerful enemies as well—one of them is the  _Brotherhood of Wings—_ a group of merceYachies funded to kill any member of the Order. They don't spare anyone—not even  _specials_  who were merely students—and most especially not keepers who were part of the ranks. Shuichi was a keeper for years before... well, before he died fighting the  _Brotherhood_.

He was too deep in his thoughts that he didn't realize Yachi had already walked and was now standing in front of him, a look of curiosity in her elvish face. Yachi of the Hitoka family had been his friend since day one of his entrance in high school. He jumped in this world right after middle school without any of his old, childhood friends. She is the same age as Shouyo but  had always treated him like a younger brother.

The Hitoka family are strong telepaths but Yachi was the only one who exhibited the ability of both a telepath and an empath. He had heard people talking about how she could really become powerful if she didn't slack off at training.

"You've been spacing out a lot." She said, leaning on Shouyo's desk, scanning his face. Shouyo knew that if he didn't respond immediately or if his response won't be satisfactory, Yachi could just read his thoughts, even if he repeatedly told her not to do it in the past.

"I'm just sleepy." He said which was 80% true. Yachi narrowed her dark eyes at him but shrugged, "If you won't tell me, then I won't pry. I'm too tired anyway to try to read your mind."

"I told you not to do that." He hissed.

She grinned at him, a twinkle of mirth in her eyes, "Fine. Fine. Anyway, you heading home?"

"Ah, no." He said glancing at his watch, "I have a part-time job today."

"What? You're still on that?" She gave him a petulant scowl _. It is amazing_ , Shouyo thought how Yachi, could seem really childish at times like these. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard. You are still even taking on normal classes." She said. He just shrugged, unable to come up with a good response. He stood up, "Anyway, I have to get going or I'll be late."

He wanted to avoid Yachi as soon as he can. Lately, he had been feeling some different vibes from her. She was his friend but he was well-aware that she liked him. Ever since then, things had been a bit awkward for him but he didn't want to make her feel that. He darted off the room, passing Ukai-sensei who was just waiting for the two of them to leave since the rest of the class already left while he was still daydreaming.

He would be late in his part-time job, he feared, even if the coffee shop he was working at is just a few minutes' walk from the university. He didn't have to work; he knew that. Their family was well-off and they lived in a lavish lifestyle ever since he was a kid. But when he studied in Karasuno, he moved out of their home and into one of the dormitories near their school, with his parents’ consent, of course.

Things weren't the same back home. His parents had put on a brave face and went on with their lives, but he could clearly see how the death of their first-born and the future head of the family came as a huge blow to them. Even now, he couldn't fully grasp what happened to his brother. It came as a shock to them—one day he went home from school and found his parents stricken with grief as they told him his brother was no more.

That was the last time he heard his parents talk about it. Even at his brother's funeral, held in their home, nobody asked what happened. Nobody, except him. But his parents didn't give him definite answers, they acted like everything was normal, except it wasn't. He could see the grief in his mother's eyes and the guilt in his father's. His sisters often cried themselves to sleep even now, even when a year has passed. The tears came less often but they still came, nonetheless. Everything suffocated him, he had to leave.

So he lived independently and started working part time not only as a source of income but as a sort of refuge. He also took up normal classes in the morning. As  _specials,_ they have the option to forgo normal classes and focus on honing their gifts but he didn't choose that, naturally. It was tiring, so to say, but at least he could still get to hang out with normal people and stay connected to the normal world—something he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

He reached the main library of their school in no time—their classrooms were connected to the main building by secret passages and stairwells located in different parts of the school. This particular one, however, was his favorite since the libraries were mostly empty during the time they ended their classes. When he reached the top of the stairs, he paused for a while, taken aback by a curious force on the other side of the door.

The force was unfamiliar and strong... but didn't seem dangerous. He thought that it might have been just one of his classmates or teachers, except there was a certain coldness in the force and he found himself rubbing his arms more, trying to stay warm. He should have waited for Yachi to come up here with him.  _Maybe it isn't too late anyway?_ He could still go back.

A familiar voice called out to him, urging him to open the door. He couldn't recall where he heard that voice, but it was soothing—it almost sounded like his brother's telling him it's going to be okay. His mind went blank at the realization and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut for thinking about his brother. As if in a trance, he slowly pushed the heavy wooden door open.

What he saw before him—wasn't his brother. But it was something... far more beautiful.

It was almost like a dream. The guy standing before him was shining too brightly, it blinded him. He wanted to close his eyes for a while because it hurt to look, but his eyes remained resolutely open and focused on the guy. He looked like a shadow—his clothes as black as the empty darkness trying to swallow him whole. Shouyo couldn't see his face as the guy's back was turned to him and the hood of the black sleeveless vest he was wearing was pulled up over his head.

He was leaning with his side against the wall but Shouyo could very well see that he is tall—almost as tall as his brother was— except his skin appeared to glow in the dark. He realized immediately that the bright light didn't come from any other source but from the guy's bare arms—particularly his right hand.  _It was stupid,_ he thought,  _how can a guy like him look at another guy and think "Wow, he is beautiful."_  But if he dared describe him in another way, it simply wouldn't do justice.

Looking closer, he realized that his right hand didn't particularly look like—well, a normal hand... but a crystallized version of what looked like a hand. Some bandages are wound carelessly around the  _crystal hand_ and the guy was clutching it with his other normal-looking hand. Though he looked beautiful from this vantage point, he clearly appeared to be in pain. Shouyo knew he had to somehow help, but he stood there in awe, frozen and unable to move nor speak. The guy grunted and slammed his left fist on the wall making him squeak in surprise.

He saw the man stiffen, finally noticing his presence and he instinctively took a step back only to be stopped when two thin and sharp ice shards appeared and flew towards him, stopping a few centimeters from both his eyes. His heart stopped as he stared in disbelief at the needle-like points floating right above his face.  _He's going to die, he's sure of it now. Either that or he'll be blind for the rest of his life._  He considered begging for mercy, getting on his knees and explaining everything... but he didn't, probably also because any movement from him would definitely result to his demise.

"Who?" The guy's deep voice cut through the silence—his voice wasn't terrifying at all, it was a little raspy, but it commanded attention, like how he imagined war generals would sound like when making orders. He watched as the guy straightened up before turning to look—no, rather, glare at him. A pair of dark eyes pierced through him with laser-like focus, they were darker than the darkness surrounding them and they felt sharper than the ice shards hovering above him. He realized, however that like the rest of him, his eyes were beautiful—but appeared too cruel.

Shouyo opened his mouth to answer but no words came out as the guy looked coldly at him. He felt the cold running across his body and had this incessant urge to rub his arms again, to warm himself. "Who are you?" The guy repeated his question, as the shards moved dangerously closer, the cold tips almost touching him now. On instinct, he closed his eyes in defense, ready to surrender to whatever fate might befall him.

A searing pain shot from his left chest—it felt like fire licking his skin. Then he heard a soft sizzle and felt a warm, comforting vapor brush against his forehead. When he opened his eyes, he saw the guy gaping at him and he realized immediately what happened.

He hated the cold even when he was young because it affected his powers. Oftentimes, while playing with other normal kids during the winter, he would find himself in dire situations where his powers would be too weak for him to protect himself. His brother would always come to his aid, he was strong enough not to be affected by any drop in the temperature. After Shuichi decided to live on his own, he made sure to imprint a piece of him on Shouyo's skin to protect him. He burned their family's insignia on his left chest  _to keep him warm,_ as he said.

This was what protected him, now. The surprised look on the guy's face was replaced immediately as his lips twisted into a cruel smirk, "Eh? You are a  _special_ , too?" He walked towards Shouyo who backed away quickly, but not quick enough because the guy was in front of him in a flash. The coldness from his body was enough to send Shouyo's knees weak as he struggled to keep himself upright.

The guy was indeed taller than him, but he bent so that his face was a just a few inches away from Shouyo's.  _Too cold,_  he kept thinking,  _this guy feels too cold._ "W-What—do you want?" He stammered looking down and averting his gaze so he didn't have to look directly at his eyes. He noticed, with a start that his once glowing, right hand, now looked completely normal and he wondered when it changed.

"Kageyama Tobio." He said, with a sudden shift in the timbre of his voice. It was still deep but it didn't sound as harsh and as cold as the first time Shouyo heard him—this time, it sounded more of a gentle rumble, a husky sound made by someone who just roused from sleep. His gaze shifted immediately to look up at Kageyama only to realize how close their faces were and he blushed at the unexpected close proximity, backing away helplessly as far as the space behind allowed him to, which wasn't much after he felt the hard wall against his back.

"You... You control fire?" He looked serious with the question and Shouyo wondered if this wasn't the first time the guy saw someone control fire. But the thought immediately disappeared when they heard a loud, panicky voice calling out from the outside.

"OOIII!!! KAGEYAMA-SAMAAAAA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Loud footsteps started to approach them. Shouyo saw Kageyama flinch at the voice which he was sure came from an older man.

"Shit!" He hissed, grabbing Shouyo by the wrist and ducking behind one of the book shelves nearest them. Shouyo didn't have time to react as Kageyama half-dragged him between shelves and tables, farther away from the doors. He was just looking at the hand holding his wrist, wondering what he should do about it. For starters, it was Kageyama's right hand—the  _crystal hand_. His mind was racing in panic:  _Too cold. Too, damn cold._

However, this coldness was the same reason why Kageyama's hand was enough to paralyze him from doing anything. He didn't know why they were running from whoever was calling Kageyama but he had no strength to pull his hand away or even speak his protest. He blamed it on the cold, but he knew there was something more—something a little more about Kageyama that was making him weak.

They had finally reached the furthermost corner of the library, and Kageyama eventually released his hold on him. The moment he did so, Shouyo immediately gripped his wrist with his other hand, rubbing his palm around it in an attempt to dismiss the cold. Kageyama started prying the barred window of the library. The bars were thick and rusty but he was able to open them effortlessly with one hand. He looked back at him and offered a hand, "Come on."

Shouyo gawked at the open hand—it wasn't the  _crystal hand_ but it still looked too white and too unnatural for his taste. He wanted to ask  _Come on where exactly?_ And wanted to point out that they are basically strangers. But there was something in Kageyama's icy stare that made him want to come.

He didn't take his hand though and pulled himself up, to the raven-haired guy's amusement. Despite his short legs and petit body, Shouyo was able to climb up to the other side of the window before unglamorously and painfully landing on his behind. Kageyama's movements, unlike his, were graceful as a predatory bird who took flight and  landed smoothly on his two feet beside him.

"You alright?" He asked, looking down at his miserable form. He managed a nod before standing up and dusting off his pants. The night was cold but the moon was shining brightly down at them and Shouyo now clearly saw the huge difference of Kageyama from his brother. He wasn't able to see him clearly in the dark, but now, under the pale yellow light of the moon, the guy looked like a dangerous animal.

His brother was taller, that he was sure of now, as Kageyama stood only a couple of inches taller than him. However, unlike his petit built, the guy's lean body felt intimidating and the denim sleeveless vest did nothing to conceal the power on his lean and slightly muscular arms. Maybe because of their hasty movements or maybe he actually pulled it off, but his hood had come down to his shoulders and revealed a messy mop of hair with the same color as the raven's wing dancing with the soft evening breeze, with only a few stubborn wisps veiling his equally pitch black eyes. Shouyo's eyes travelled down to Kageyama's hands and he noticed that apart from the tight leather wrap bracelet around his left wrist, his long fingers were adorned by a collection of rings.

Kageyama turned to Shouyo with a curious expression and the shorter boy realized he had been staring for too long. He turned away, embarrassed and confused at what he did. _He was just curious. Just that._

"Have we met before?" Kageyama asked, a sudden curiosity evident in his deep voice.

"Eh? No, I don't remember." Shouyo stammered. The question, however, sort of intrigued him.  _Why would he ask that? This was the first time I saw him._ He thought, but his mind was already scanning his previous memories for any possible scenario where they could have met but he always came up blank. He finally gave up and just settled for, "I work part-time in a coffee shop near here. I probably served you a cup."

His eyes narrowed, definitely unconvinced but he shrugged, losing interest, "Nah, that's impossible. I hate coffee and I just came here today."

"Ah, so, you're a new student?"

"You could say that."

"I didn't know we will be having a new classmate."

"KAGEYAMA-SAMAAAAA!!!" The voice came again and he ducked once more, grabbing Shouyo down with him. Before he fell to his knees, though, Shouyo caught a glimpse of a man, probably in his late thirties wearing a suit, walking towards the window where they came out from. He was looking around with a concerned look, as if searching for something and Shouyo knew that it wouldn't be long until he saw the open window and figured out what happened.

"Let's go." Kageyama whispered softly as he began crawling away from the window. Even though he wasn't really sure if it was a good idea to follow the guy, he did so silently. They crawled under the thicket of bushes growing near the edge of the building until they could finally see the back gate of their university. They stood up and dashed outside even if there was actually no one following them.

"Who was that?" He asked Kageyama who was still looking around warily.

"Takeda Ittetsu." He said, "He's our butler."

"Your butler? Then, why are you running away from him?"

"Because he's annoying."

Shouyo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Aside from the fact that this was the first time he met someone rich enough to have a butler, he couldn't believe that the reason he was willing to run away from the man looking for Kageyama was because he thought that he was a bad guy, and as it turned out, the guy was just being a rich spoiled brat. He was too shocked to even say these things as he gawked at the nonchalance the guy is exhibiting.

"So, where are we headed next?"

"What?"

Kageyama looked at him with an annoyed expression, "Are you deaf or something? I asked where are we going next."

He was hearing things; he was sure of that. Kageyama couldn't possibly mean what he just said,  _right?_ "What do you mean where are  _we_ going? Since when did there become a  _we?_  Just a few moments ago, you were trying to kill me."

"You caught me off-guard. It wasn't my fault." His apology didn't sound like an apology.

"So it was my fault for sneaking up on you?!"

"Technically, yes."

Shouyo had no response but to gawk in disbelief at the arrogance of the guy who he even considered to look beautiful.  _Something, he still felt awkwardly sickening at how a guy like him could describe another guy as beautiful and consider it aptly done so._

"So, let's get going."

"What made you think you're coming with me?!"

"Well, like I told you, this was my first day here and you can't possibly ask me to walk around aimlessly. You don't look very strong, but I am quite sure, you're not a bad person to leave someone as helpless as me out on the streets."

"YOU!" Shouyo felt the rage building up in his tiny body at the tactless and baseless opinion from this stranger, "What made you think I would feel any sort of guilt after you explicitly told me I looked weak! Mind you, I'm the next head of the Hinata family!"

At the mention of his family name, Kageyama's face changed—his eyes widened with shock as he turned to Shouyo, mouth slightly agape. Questions suddenly flowed inside Shouyo's head like a flash flood at Kageyama's expression.  _Maybe, just maybe... this really wasn't the first time this guy saw someone from their family._ Shouyo remembered his brother immediately.

"Hinata-sensei... Do you..." Kageyama asked quietly, the expression on his face unchanging. "Are you... related to Shuichi Hinata"

The sound of his brother's name on the lips of a stranger felt odd. For a year, he never heard anyone mention his name—not even his family. Talking about his dead brother was treated like a taboo at home that nobody ever brings him up even during rare family dinners, and now, meeting someone and hearing the name openly called brought forth raw emotions he had long forgotten.

Before Shouyo realized, he had already closed the small distance between them and curled his fingers on the guy's coat. "You know Aniki?! You've met him before?!" He demanded in a shrieking voice. Kageyama's face looked more confused as he stared down at him, while he pulled on him.

"He was—he was my mentor." He said in a calm voice in an attempt to calm Shouyo down, too. But Shouyo wouldn't calm down, not now. Not when someone outside their family seemed to know something about his brother, too.

"Did you know what happened to Aniki?" Shouyo asked. He was eager to learn the painful details of Shuichi's death—even if it would only reopen wounds which never really healed. For a long time of not knowing what happened to his brother, he had, but given up all hope that he would find out. He thought that after he becomes a  _keeper_ , he would finally understand everything and all secrets about his brother's death would be revealed. He had accepted that, but seeing someone who knew Shuichi inspired a new surge of hope in his heart.  _Maybe, he didn't have to wait long. Maybe, he could already know what really happened. Maybe, maybe..._

Thankfully, Kageyama didn't bother to pretend not to know what he was talking about. He, however, looked gloomily at Shouyo's desperate face, "I also don't know."

The admission was simple and brutal. It crushed Shouyo's newfound hope on finding the truth not only behind Shuichi's death, but also the absence of his body. He was still clutching Kageyama's coat, his knuckles turning to white at the pressure and when he realized it, he let him go.

"I'm... sorry about that." He looked away, once again embarrassed at letting his emotions get the best of him.

"You know, for a moment there, you seemed like Hinata-sensei." Kageyama chuckled like he was remembering a distant memory, "He was older than me and he was supposed to be my mentor. But he almost always let his emotions win over his superior intellect. I can't help but think it runs in your family."

His remark, though innocent, left a bitter taste in Shouyo's mouth. He wondered why his brother became someone else's mentor when he didn't have enough time to spend with his family. He didn't know his brother acted the way the rest of his family did. Their family was often described as having a  _fiery personality_ , but Shuichi was different. He was always calm and composed so hearing this from Kageyama somehow made him feel like he was talking about an entirely different person.

"But come to think of it, you do have some similarities." He continued his tactless remarks. It wasn't the first time someone told him that. Aside from the height difference, he and his brother shared the same orange hair—which was the hair color innate in their family, and the same brown eyes. His sisters, however, often teased him that his facial features don't look as manly as Shuichi's.  _Cute,_ they called him.

"Oi, you lost your tongue?" Kageyama had bent down again and was leaning a little too close for comfort over his face. Shouyo blushed, backing away, "Seriously? Don't you know anything about personal space?"

The taller guy chuckled, "You're too sensitive. Are the rest of your family like you and your brother?"

"Wait 'til you meet my sisters." Was Shouyo's only response.

"Great. When can I meet them, then?"

"Don't misunderstand this. I am not inviting you to our home." He said taking an exasperated sigh, "I need to leave. I still have a part-time job to go to and I'm already late." They went out of the back gate which meant that the walk would take a good fifteen minutes to the coffee shop and when he looked at his watch, he realized that he was already late.

"Then I'll go with you."

"You can't do that."

"Why not? Is your coffee shop only for weak  _specials?_ "

"Stop calling me weak!" He hissed, "Besides, you just said you don't drink coffee!"

"I didn't say I don't drink coffee. I said I hated it. But it won't kill me."

"There are a lot of coffee shops around. Just go there!"

"Hey! I'm a potential customer! You should treat me nicely."

"I'm not even working yet."

"Yes, 'cuz you're late."

Shouyo gritted his teeth in annoyance simply because Kageyama didn't look like he would back down no matter what he said. He was convinced that whether he agreed or not, the guy would follow him anyway. He sighed in resignation, "Fine. Do what you like."

Kageyama smirked, a smug look on his face, "By the way, what's your name?"

 _Right. I never gave him my name._ Shouyo realized as they started walking, "Ah, Shouyo. Hinata Shouyo."

"Hmn... Okay, Shouyo. You lead the way."

"That's exactly what I'm doing now! And don't use my given name casually!"

"Calling you Hinata would be weird."

"Ah... I guess so." He kept his eyes on the ground as they traversed the road slowly, nobody, especially him complaining that they are walking too slowly. He was late anyway, so it didn't matter. It still felt weird, walking with this stranger who knew his brother, but he didn't feel like he was dangerous, even if a few minutes ago, he was ready to kill him.

"Umm...Kageyama-kun... What I saw back there..."

There was no need for words, the response he got from the guy came in just a split second as his body stiffened and his overall aura felt cold again. Shouyo regretted bringing up an issue which he was obviously sensitive about. He blamed his curiosity.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Ah, I see." There was a harsh tone in the guy's voice—it didn't scare him, but it kept him on his toes. He wanted to talk to him more, though, and if he wasn't willing to say something about the only thing Shouyo wanted to know about that, he had to respect Kageyama's decision and stop prying.

"How old are you, anyway?"

"Twenty." He replied.  _Ah, a year older than me._ Shouyo thought, "How long did you become my brother's student?"

"About... two years."

Shouyo didn't understand why he inserted his brother in a very generic topic—when the revelation that his brother was close to someone outside their family felt like a chain ball dragging him down.  _But if he didn't speak, wouldn't the silence be more unbearable?_  In truth, he was envious of Kageyama, for knowing a little more about his brother.

"Say, Shouyo." Kageyama said softly. He had stopped moments ago and was now standing a few steps back from the shorter boy. He was looking up at the clear night sky, "Do you think it would snow, soon?"

Shouyo frowned because he was sure it had started snowing already, considering the drop in temperature he felt a few hours ago and the queasy feeling he always had whenever it started snowing. He was too keen on avoiding the cold that he developed these natural indicators whenever it starts to snow. But as he looked around and up at the same sky Kageyama was looking at, he realized something:  _It wasn't snowing yet. So why was he cold?_

**+++**

 


	2. The Melting Cold

_Sho-chan_.

Everyone back at home called him that. His sisters, most specifically. He thought that it was because their age gap wasn't that substantial for them to actually feel that he is an authority figure, but he realized it was really because  _Sh_ _u_ _-nii_  was exclusive for the eldest brother. Shuichi will always be the eldest brother even after his death.

Overtime, he began hating the name.

"Neh, Hinata-kun, is Kageyama-kun a friend of yours?" One of the coffee shop's barista, Saeko-nee who is three years his senior had come out from the kitchen, carrying a tray of freshly delivered bagels when Kageyama and Shouyo came in a few moments ago.

Their shop,  _Drip Coffee_  is a quaint little coffee shop sitting a few minutes away from their school. It has a toasty, comfy feel, with its old leather couches and dark wooden interiors, decorated by vintage lamps and ornaments. Students and professors frequented the coffee shop everyday as it offers a homey, relaxing feel amidst the bustle of the city. Tonight, however, the place isn't as crowded as it usually is.

"Well, not really." He said and Saeko-nee narrowed her eyes at him, obviously confused of his response. He knew it already, the moment she laid eyes on Kageyama, she was interested with him. It wasn't just the way her pupils dilated in delight or the way she flicked her newly-bleached hair dramatically from her shoulders... but the way her temperature suddenly rose like water coming to a boil.

Ever since then, she had been bugging and following him even when he went to the back office to change into his uniform. He gently excused himself to avoid her questions but when he emerged from the lockers, she was back to her inquisition.

Kageyama had already settled in one of the shop's corner table, staring quietly out the window. He propped his left elbow on the table, resting his head on his cupped hand, looking bored. Shouyo wondered if he should come up to the guy and at least, ask for his order—he was a customer after all. But he wasn't sure if it was the right move—there was still something about Kageyama that made him feel uneasy.

Thankfully, before Shouyo came up with a decision, Saeko-nee already came up to the guy, pen and paper in hand. She was acting a little too perky for comfort. Shouyo hoped she didn't make it too obvious. Kageyama regarded her with guarded look, the intensity of his  stare caught Saeko-nee off-guard. He could see her blushing and stammering as she took his order. Despite his obvious aloofness, Saeko-nee left his table and proceeded to the bar, with a dreamy expression on her face.

He frowned at that, getting an irritating uneasy feeling just watching their exchange—though he had to admit that he felt a sense of relief, knowing that he isn't the only one who found Kageyama, well, beautiful. Though of course, it would be normal for Saeko-nee since she's a girl.

He still couldn't deny it, though, and it felt really unfair—even now, looking at the guy, who seemed to return to his own little world, could still to stand out by doing technically, nothing. This was in comparison not only from the small generic crowd inside the shop, but the shop in its entirety. He was consumed in his own world, tapping his slender fingers lightly on the table; the sound of the metal against the wooden table created a soft almost inaudible rhythm.

Shouyo knew he could have stood there forever, watching Kageyama move in his little bubble, like looking into a glass enclosure of a dangerous yet beautiful animal. The taller guy seemed to feel Shouyo gawking at him like that and in a flash, Shouyo met Kageyama's steely gaze. His eyes widened in shock and embarrassment as Kageyama's lips curled in a rather cruel smirk. He turned away, a flush rising to his cheeks.

A couple entered the coffee shop and he distracted himself with them, trotting behind them, eager to take their order. They were friendly and were just glad to have someone assist them—Shouyo even shared a few small laughs with them before he went to prepare their orders at the bar.

Shouyo works at  _Drip Coffee_ for four hours a day—the pay is decent enough since the owner of the shop is a professor who supports independent students who live by themselves. Night shifts are usually dead hours but it could get a little busy during dinner time. Regardless, it is an environment Shouyo is comfortable and happy with.

For his entire shift, he avoided interacting with Kageyama who was more than content to sit there in the corner to drink and eat. Saeko-nee was having fun assisting him anyway and he saw no need to even bother him. Before he knew it, his shift was already over and they were already getting ready to close the shop. He saw Saeko-nee talk to Kageyama, probably explaining that they needed all the customers to leave before they could close up. Luckily, the guy just walked out, without a word to him—not even bothering to look.

Shouyo was relieved to know that he wouldn’t probably wind up returning to the school to face Takeda-san, but he couldn't deny that he got a little disappointed, for some reason. Why he would feel that, he still wasn't sure, but for the entire hour that they were cleaning and scrubbing up the place, his eyes would wander off to the corner where Kageyama was sitting, a while ago and feel a bit of crappy loneliness.

"See you tomorrow, Saeko-nee!" Saeko-nee went ahead since she has a train to catch. He waved her goodbye as she went out the back door of the café where Shouyo was busy drying the plates and putting them in the racks. The lights of the shop were already off and the only single light on was the one in the kitchen, where he was working at, making the place looks dreary and gloomy.

It was already nine and there were still a lot of plates to be dried up so he knew he needed to pick up his pace if he wanted to finish by nine thirty. He diligently wiped each plate, focusing on the task at hand, when the door where Saeko-nee came out from opened again.

 _Saeko-nee probably left her key card, again._  The woman could really be careless, sometimes. "Did you forget something, Saeko-nee?" He looked up and saw Kageyama standing by the doorway, hands in his pockets and curiously looking around, "Are you not done with work, yet?"

"E-Excuse me?" Shouyo stammered, confused at the surge of happiness jumping from his heart simply by seeing him, "What are you doing here? I thought you already went back to Takeda-san."

"Huh? Why would I do that?" He walked towards Shouyo in a lazy pace, investigating what the smaller guy was still doing to keep him at work this late, "It's late and I'm tired. Let's go home."

"Home? What do you mean home?"

"Are you stupid? What do I mean? Of course, the place where you stay. A house, an apartment, a cave or wherever you take your weak ass to whenever you want to rest, _boke_." The insult annoyed Shouyo, but not as much as it confused him.

"Did you mean you want to go home with me?!" Shouyo hissed.  _Unbelievable. This guy is just unbelievable._

"Finally, you get it. Congratulations." Shouyo wished the guy was joking, but his face showed that he was dead serious. Not only that—he was also looking pretty satisfied with himself. Shouyo felt his rage building.

"What made you think I'm okay with that? Before you forcefully dragged me into this mess, and I couldn't stress this enough, but you attempted to drill two icicles into my skull through my eyes. If it still isn't clear— _You, tried to kill me!_ "

"That was in the past. Just let it go and move on."

"That happened not more than a few hours ago!" Shouyo was fuming mad at the nonchalant way Kageyama was talking to him, "Why do you think I would be willing to share my roof with you?!"

"Because it wasn't a request" Kageyama said with a smug smile, "I could just follow you, you know."

Shouyo groaned in frustration, "Are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"Forcing yourself on people, dragging them into your own mess"

"I've never forced myself on people. People love being useful to me"

 _That arrogance!_  Shouyo seethed in anger, knowing full well, that Kageyama was probably right—he did seem like someone who would get his way, no matter what—and Shouyo hated him more for being a  _rich, spoiled brat!_ He should probably just sneak out and leave him, but he was also pretty damn sure that the guy would probably just find him in the end.  _Why? Why was he stuck with this conceited guy?_

"You still need to finish all of these?" Kageyama was standing now beside him, the cold emanating from his body and Shouyo stepped away furtively, keeping a safe distance from him.

"Uh, yeah"

"Why don't you just use your fire to dry them up? It'll save time."

"Because we're not allowed to use our gifts outside the school. Not unless it's a matter of life and death."

Kageyama frowned at that, unable to understand the concept, "Sounds like a pain." He yawned a bit and trudged his way towards an empty stool by the kitchen counter. He sat down on it, crossing his legs and looking expectantly at Shouyo, "Well, finish up already so we could go home. I'm sleepy."

Shouyo almost burned him up right there and then. Sure, Kageyama looked strong and he wasn't as strong as his brother but he wasn't as weak as the guy thought him to be. Besides, Kageyama looking down on him would be the guy's biggest mistake. He might not be able to defeat the guy, but he could at least sear some flesh to teach him a lesson.

But he remembered what he just said about using  _gifts_  responsibly so he stayed calm, " You know, it would be faster if you would help."

Kageyama chuckled, "I'm not the one getting paid for that."

"It could be your payment to me. For letting you stay the night in my apartment."

"I could pay you in cash."

"I don't need it. I want you to pay me through your service."

At his last statement, he saw Kageyama's eyes glinting in mischief as his lips curled into an impish grin—Shouyo's heart stopped and a voice in his head started nagging him to take back what he just said. But it was already too late.

"Service, huh?" Kageyama's voice was low and came out like a whisper. He hoisted himself back up from the stool and languidly sauntered towards Shouyo, looking all kinds of dangerous. A riotous alarm blared inside Shouyo's head, setting all his senses in full alert. Kageyama looked dangerous and beautiful—like a tiger stalking his prey.

Shouyo froze, his feet wouldn't move even when his brain was screaming to get the hell away from Kageyama who was just a few inches away from him—the cold coming from his body becoming stronger. Shouyo's head was already swimming when Kageyama reached him, his face hovering above the smaller guy. Kageyama was looking down at him—his eyes precariously scanning Shouyo's face before he whispered, "What kind of service did you have in mind?"

The cold breath that brushed against Shouyo's cheek and sent shivers down his spine, making his knees weak.  _Why? Why is Kageyama affecting him this way? He doesn't understand!_  He opened his mouth to respond to him, but no words came out. Their faces were just a few inches apart and he couldn't move away, hypnotized by the pitch black eyes skimming his face, as if he was memorizing every line of Shouyo's shocked face. They were too close—Shouyo could already see a small, barely noticeable mole right under the outer corner of his left eye. He focused on that, instead of at Kageyama's eyes. It looked like a small black dot in a sea of pale white skin.

"Shouyo...Stop spacing out." Kageyama called, his voice a husky whisper as he raised his hand to touch Shouyo's face. Shouyo's eyes widened in panic as cold fingers grazed his cheek, wincing at the contact. He expected his touch to hurt, but somehow, it didn't. He was cold, alright, but it wasn't a harsh cold Shouyo anticipated. Shouyo was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Kageyama lowered down his hand but then he felt cold fingers wrap around one of his wrist in a steely grip and he was pulled forward.

"Ka-Kageyama-san!" He managed to shriek before cold lips caught his mouth, effectively snatching the words away and silencing him. His eyes widened in shock as everything came to a stop, the world, the time—it was like getting swallowed inside a vacuum where everything just kind of disappeared—everything, except maybe his heart pounding loudly like a beat drum against his chest.

He was looking up at the closed eyes of the taller boy, as a storm of emotions surged his body. The cold lips moved against his warm ones, making his knees wobble and give way, only to be caught again when strong, cold arms wrapped themselves around his waist and pulled him closer.  _Wrong. This was wrong!_

His mind was yelling at him to make this stop, to push him away because this is not right—but his arms were now uselessly dangling on his sides, unable to defend him in the onslaught of emotions making his heart throb and his body weak. He kept thinking that it wasn't the kiss making him weak; it was the cold coming from the guy's body affecting his  _gifts._  It was just that.

One cold hand found its way to his face again, and in just a swift, effortless movement, Kageyama tugged on his chin and opened his mouth. He groaned in protest, but any sound coming from his mouth was muffled by the way his breath got sucked in as Kageyama's tongue plunged inside—exploring the crevices of his mouth. He was too shocked to respond to the relentless kiss, and he just stood there, motionless, unable to process what was happening.

 _Why? Why? Why?_  He couldn't stand it! A slow heat began to build in the pits of his stomach, stirring his body to life as the tongue inside his mouth delved deeper, flicking and moving like a snake rendering him helpless with sensations he never knew he was capable of feeling. The cold was terrible now, harsher than a few moments ago. It was painful, and it was more than what his tolerance could handle...  _so why does his body feel on fire?_

Kageyama jerked back suddenly, pushing Shouyo who was gasping for air, gently away. Shouyo melted on the floor, his knees finally unable to hold his body weight. Shouyo covered his face with his trembling hands as he tried to calm his pounding heart.

There was an amused smirk on Kageyama's face, "I hope that covers my stay for the..." His voice trailed off as he looked at the smaller boy who was slumped on the floor, shaking like a leaf. Panic rose as Kageyama bent down and grabbed Shouyo's shoulder, "Hey! Are you alright?!"

Shouyo wasn't looking at him. Kageyama realized that he got terribly hot—which is saying a lot, considering the boy's temperature was really high normally. But this time, touching him felt painful. "Hey, Shouyo!" He yelled and finally the boy looked up at him and he gasped in surprise, not only at how red the boy's face has become but also because there were tears on the corner of his green, almond eyes.

"What the—why the hell are you crying?! It was just a stupid kiss!" Kageyama hissed and Shouyo, feeling terribly insulted pushed him away, this time, Kageyama who was still staring at him confused let him go. A realization finally hit the taller guy and he blurted out the most embarrassing thing imaginable for Shouyo.

"Wait... was that your first kiss?!"

"SHUT UP!" Shouyo hissed, turning redder in an instant. Kageyama chuckled—Shouyo's reaction was enough confirmation, anyway. The truth was as bright as day to him. Of course, Kageyama was right. He had no problem with making friends, but getting himself a girlfriend was terribly hard for him. He was never a romantic, anyway and all those shit about giving your first kiss to the person you love, was never really his thing... but he couldn't believe his first kiss would turn out to be with another boy—and to top that, it would be with this despicable, conceited guy who forced himself on him.

"You are so innocent." It wasn't an insult, but coming from Kageyama, it felt like it was and Shouyo glared at him with bleary eyes.

"I said shut up!"

"That's cute. Glaring at me while you still have tears in your eyes." Kageyama was looking smug again, and Shouyo opened his mouth to retort but the taller boy moved suddenly forward until he was close enough to whisper in Shouyo's ear. He gasped as Kageyama's cool breath touched tickled his ear as he whispered "I could do it again, if it would make you feel better."

It happened in a flash and Kageyama pulled away before Shouyo could even react. However, the effect was immediate as the smaller boy's face burned a deep scarlet shade with shame.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Shouyo hissed, clamping a hand over his ear to warm it up.

"You asked for a service. You should be grateful." Kageyama smirked, "I'm a pretty good kisser."

"Stop kidding around! I'm a boy!"

Kageyama frowned, a clueless expression on his face, "So what?"

Shouyo glared at him, unsure if he was hearing things right, "What do you mean?! Are you not bothered by that?!"

"Are you?" The question caught him off-guard and he didn't know how to answer him.  _It should bother him, right?_ He never really liked girls when he was young—but he didn't like boys, too. In fact, thinking back then, he never really liked anyone aside from his brother. He didn't even like his sisters because they were too noisy and they kept on teasing him.  _Brother complex_. That was what they called his irrepressible need to stick to Shuichi. He didn't think anything weird about it, though, because he felt that the only reason he liked his brother was because they understood each other. They were both specials and they share common interests.

 _But Kageyama is different._  A complete stranger, and yet he easily gravitated towards him. Where his brother strengthened his powers, encouraged him—Kageyama easily weakened him... broken him and he couldn't fight. But that wasn't what's picking on his brains at the moment. Despite everything...  _Why wasn't he bothered by it?_

Kageyama wasn't really waiting for an answer. He stood up and walked back towards the stool, yawning. "Pick up the phase, now. So we can go home."

It took another hour for Shouyo to begrudgingly finish drying up the plates and putting them on the racks—maybe it would have taken a lot faster if Kageyama picked up his lazy ass and helped. Shouyo didn't ask again, anyway, afraid because the first time he did so, he was subjected to a rather brutal kiss. Besides, the mere presence of the raven-haired boy unnerved him.

He didn't invite him to walk with him back to his dormitory, but as he suspected, the boy just followed him as he walked through the streets. He kept his distance, still incapable of looking straight at him without remembering what happened. It was no use anyway, every time he tried looking at Kageyama, his eyes would always, always drift down to the guy's pale lips.

There were not a lot of people in the school when they entered the back gate, where they came from. His dormitory was on the seventh floor of the old, looming building next to the gymnasium. Not many people lived on the building as there were rumors about it being haunted, since compared to the new dormitories, this one looks like it came from a horror movie with its dilapidated walls and empty, dark hallways. Shouyo, though, thinks that the real reason is as simple as it is the furthest of all to the main building where classes are mostly held. No matter the reason, the fact that only a handful of students live there is exactly why Shouyo chose it in the first place.

"I'll need to buy dinner first." He announced as they passed a convenience store a few steps away from his dormitory. "Do you want anything?" He asked, out of politeness.

Kageyama turned to look at the green and red LED of the convenience store's signage. The store was small and only offered a few products enough to satisfy midnight cravings, but definitely not enough to give you a decent home-cooked meal. But it sells instant noodles and some microwaveable meals so it has that, at the very least.

"You buy dinner here?" Kageyama looked unimpressed.

"Yeah, I don't really have time to cook."

Kageyama grabbed his wrist and a blush rose to his cheeks again as the taller boy inspected his wrist. His hand, as expected was cold and Shouyo gasped at the contact, "Probably why you're thin as a stick."

Shouyo pulled his hand away forcefully, his face hot with embarrassment, "Shut up. Stop touching me."

"Eh? But you seem to really like it." Kageyama snickered.

"What made you think that?"

"You're blushing like crazy right now."

"I just feel cold." Shouyo lied turning his heel to enter the store, "I'll be back in a minute."

"Hey, get me some milk!" Kageyama was able to call out before Shouyo stepped inside the store.

Aside from the instant ramen, he grabbed a few supplies he needed at home. He never really went shopping so he buys his groceries here. He was about to check out when he passed the refrigerator where cartons of milk and other juices were displayed. He never really liked milk but he remembered Kageyama's request. He wondered if he should buy one for the guy—he was a nuisance, really.

It wasn't Shouyo's fault anyway that he barged onto him, unannounced. But the guy did try to kill him, or at least threatened to kill him, and he dragged Shouyo along to escape his butler who is still probably worried sick looking for him. Now, he wanted to stay over.

 _How did his brother relate himself to such an interesting character_ , Shouyo had no idea. But he grabbed one pudding before checking out.

"What took you so long?" Kageyama was impatiently standing by the door when Shouyo went out.

"I bought your freaking milk." Shouyo said throwing the cold beverage towards him and the other guy easily caught it. He didn't say thank you, though, and Shouyo immediately regretted buying it for him.  _That ungrateful bastard._

They crossed the street towards the looming, dark and scary building which was Shouyo's dormitory. There were still a few students at the common area when they passed the gargantuan hall. The place has a high ceiling where at least five, long wooden tables are lined up parallel to each other. It was dimly lit and most of the students had opened a lamp beside them as they hunch down reading and studying. Shouyo made sure they were silent as they trudged their way towards the elevator, not wanting to disturb the peace in this ungodly hour.

"This building is interesting." Kageyama said as they entered the elevator and it began ascending, the wheels creaking unconventionally, reminding its passengers of its age.

"It’s the oldest dormitory in the school." He said, moving on the furthermost corner of the lift, careful not to stand too close to Kageyama.

"Is this the only place you can afford?"

It was a slight jab at his financial status and it hurt because it was somehow true, "Yes. And now you're sleeping in it so shut it."

Kageyama smirked at him, amused at the clever way he retorted. He expected a comeback, but it never came so he just stared at the red numbers on the elevator panel as they change ever so slowly.

The doors to the elevator opened when they reached his floor. There were only five apartment units in the 4th floor and only two were occupied—both of them on parallel ends of the floor. He met his neighbor a couple of times before, but never really interacted with her. Only thing he knew about her is her name is Kiyoko and she's studying medicine.

The hallway was dimly lit and he led the way to the farthest end to his apartment, Kageyama silently following behind him.

He opened the door to his apartment and revealed an unexpectedly big but bare studio-type room. The grey tatami mat looked old but clean, with only a few splotches of stain where Shouyo spilled some soup or food. There was a modest kitchen making up the entire left side of the apartment where there is a single stove, a small refrigerator, a coffee maker and a microwave oven was lined up on the counter beside the sink. A door leading to the bathroom was also beside the sink.

At least, there was television sitting right on the right corner of the room, and rolled-up futons were stacked in another corner, just beside the low-rise study table where stacks of books are messily placed.

They both removed their shoes and entered... Shouyo, proceeded to the kitchen to prepare his meal.

"This isn't that bad." Kageyama nodded approvingly as sat down in the middle of the room and looked around, "I expected worse."

Shouyo didn't respond to that. He was too hungry and too tired to argue. He placed his meal inside the microwave and set the timer.

"I'll use your bath first." Kageyama announced standing up, "Give me some spare clothes."

"Yeah, yeah" Shouyo just agreed, too spent on arguing with him for the entire night. It would probably best to spend the rest of the night agreeing or ignoring whatever he's saying since tomorrow, he'd be gone anyway.

Kageyama went inside the bathroom and once Shouyo heard the shower running, he began looking for clothes that would fit the guy. He was taller than Shouyo, but luckily for him, Shouyo never really wore perfectly-fitted clothes to sleep. Most of them were too big for him because they felt comfortable. He rummaged through his clothes and was able to get a white shirt and some grey sweat pants for Kageyama.

He carefully placed them on the foot of the bathroom door just in time when the microwave buzzed to a stop. He was hungry and he wolfed down the food his food in a few bites, throwing the container in the trash can under the kitchen sink. One thing he liked about microwaveable food would be not doing the dishes after.

He lied down on the floor, spreading his arms and legs apart and stared up at the ceiling, the exhaustion of the day catching up to him. The shower was still running and he hoped that Kageyama would finish soon because he lives for hot showers before going to bed. He closed his eyes and listen to the soft gushing of water as it splashed on the tiles. His muscles ached and he was still feeling cold—but somehow, it didn't feel uneasy now. If anything, for some reason, the cold even felt a little bit comforting, it made him feel sleepy.

Before he could drift off to sleep, however, he heard the door open and he pushed himself up with bleary eyes to see Kageyama standing half-naked with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Shouyo gasped and looked down, blushing profusely at seeing the guy in all his glory. It was just a split second and Shouyo didn't even let his eyes wander off, but he immediately saw the difference between both their bodies—while Shouyo's body was small and petit, Kageyama's was lean with just enough muscles on the right places to define his powerful body.

Kageyama didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't mind as he leisurely took his time in drying off himself with a towel. He started putting on the clothes Shouyo prepared for him which surprisingly fit him perfectly. "Oi, I think your heater's broke. It was too hot." Kageyama complained.

"It wasn't too hot." Shouyo argued, "It's just... maybe your body's too cold."

He shook in surprise when Kageyama suddenly sat beside him, the jolt of electricity almost sent him jumping. He could smell his shampoo on the other boy mixed with, well...  _his smell_  and for some reason, it intoxicated him. Unable to grasp why the boy is affecting him that way, he stood up and marched his way towards the shower.

The water was the right temperature—and just as he guessed, it was only because of Kageyama's cold body that he felt it was too hot. He closed his eyes, letting the heat of the water consume him and wash away all this day's physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. He loved going home to late night showers, when he was alone and could keep his mind blank. Sometimes, he spent even an hour standing under the running water doing nothing and staring blankly ahead.

This time, however, he couldn't stop thinking about the guy lounging in his room. He wasn't alone tonight, and he really has no idea how to make of it. He wasn't sure if he liked it or hated having Kageyama stay over with him. He cursed under his breath, turning off the shower and drying off before putting on his usual sleeping clothes—an oversized shirt and pajamas.

Kageyama had turned on the television and watching a rerun of a volleyball match which apparent happened that morning. He was drinking his milk, too and was focused entirely on the game. Shouyo was surprised to find him—the most sarcastic and conceited fellow he knows to date would actually love to watch some sports. He wondered if he was an athlete since he definitely has the body for it.

"Oi, Shouyo. Set up the futon." Kageyama said and with that, Shouyo realized one important detail he totally forgot, "I-I only have one single futon."

"Hmmn..." Kageyama looked contemplatively at him, "Well, I don't mind using it."

"Eh? Why would you do that?"

"Why? Would you rather sleep with me?"

"I don't think you should be the one deciding on that."

"You're blushing again."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"I'm setting up the futon. Move!" Shouyo growled before getting the futon on the corner and setting it up in the middle of the room. Kageyama turned off the television and started watching him intently, a smile plastered on his face.

"I think two people could fit there." Kageyama said after Shouyo unrolled the futon and set up the matresses.

Shouyo highly doubted it, "No, I don't think so."

"Well, I'm just saying. You'll be the one sleeping on the floor, anyway." As he was saying this, Kageyama had already crawled himself into the futon, leaving Shouyo no choice but to sit beside him and mope over him.

"That's not fair. We are both men, we should fight this out."

Kageyama snickered again, "Don't be stupid. I could totally kick your ass." He was smiling up at Shouyo, his dark eyes glinting with mischief.

"I could burn you right now."

"Your fire is no match with my ice." He said, "I was trained by your brother who is much stronger than you."

 _Of course._  The mention of his brother stabbed him again and it felt more and more unbearable that he lowered his gaze.

"Fine. Just take it."

"Don't be stupid. You'd be cold."

"Shut up." He started crawling away to lay down on the floor far from Kageyama, when strong fingers curled around his wrist and pulled him down, towards the futon.

"What?!" He found himself expertly pinned on the floor as Kageyama's arms and legs wrapped around his body, locking him in place, "What are you doing?!" Shouyo tried to free himself, tugging and pulling on Kageyama's arms and kicking his legs but the taller boy didn't even budge, "Let me go!"

"Shut up. You are too stubborn, it's annoying." There was a rumble in Kageyama's steely voice and Shouyo looked up to find the other guy staring back down at him, his eyes dangerously dark.  _There was something else in his eyes that draws him in_ , he realized, except he just couldn't figure it out yet.

"You're blushing, again." Kageyama pointed out for nth time that night.

"Shut up." He muttered, "Let me go."

"Not until you stop struggling."

Shouyo sighed and stopped his protests and he felt Kageyama's arms and legs snake their way off of him. He turned his back towards the guy, and curled himself into a ball, "This is too awkward."

"How so?"

"Two guys can't sleep like this."

"We're just sleeping. What's wrong with that?"

"..."

"Are you thinking of doing something else?" Kageyama's voice became a sleazy whisper and Shouyo shook in alarm.

"HECK NO!"

He heard Kageyama chuckle before saying, "Then stop it with the suggestive talk."

"I am not suggesting anything, you stupid pervert." Shouyo was finding it hard to breathe, his heart was pounding madly against his chest at the closeness of their bodies.

A silence followed and after a while, "Neh, should we turn off the lights?" He asked in order to distract himself from the presence beside him. Kageyama felt too cold and he made sure to lie down near the edge of the futon to avoid touching him. But even so, his presence was too domineering that it was just too hard to miss.

There was no response from the guy and he figured he was already asleep. "I'll turn it off, then." He said, pushing himself up and crawling away from the futon to the light switch.

He wasn't even a few steps away when the world around him exploded—blinding him with a flash of white light. A high-pitched ringing in his ears deafened him. His head throbbed painfully, like he had been hit by a sledgehammer and he fell down to his knees, clutching the sides of his head. He blinked a couple of times before everything came to view. He looked around immediately expecting to see any form of wreckage, except...  _All the things surrounding him were intact like nothing happened at all._

He turned to Kageyama who was fully awake now and staring at him with dark eyes. The taller guy looked stunned but there was something else in his expression that made Shouyo feel that he knew what just happened.

"What the hell was that?" He managed to say even when his head felt like it's about to explode.

"A magical explosion." Kageyama said calmly, "We need to leave immediately."

Kageyama was already on his feet and was collecting his clothes which he placed on one corner.

"Huh?! What do you mean we need to leave?"

"There's no time to explain. Get your stuff."

"I won't leave without an explanation."

"The  _Eagles_ are here." He said flatly, void of any emotions—especially not fear. At the mention of the word, a certain cold enveloped his body—except this time, it wasn't the slightly comforting coldness Kageyama gives off, but a harsher, crueller and more dangerous type of cold.

"But... why did the explosion felt like... something out of this world?"

The thought of his brother's death came in his mind and shuddered in fear. He always thought that the  _Eagles_ were normal people who used normal means to kill them because despite all their gifts, the specials are indeed—still humans. However, what just happened now, if Kageyama was right, was a magical explosion which meant that they found a way to counter their gifts with magic, too.

_Either that or..._

Kageyama confirmed it, "Yes, some  _Eagles_ are specials, too." He had already put on his clothes and was getting ready to leave when he looked back and frowned at Shouyo, "I told you to fucking move."

"Why-Why are we running away?"

"Because they are coming for me."

"What? Why?!" The confusion was getting too much for Shouyo and he couldn't understand whatever Kageyama was saying right now. His words didn't explain anything—they just added up to the mystery that was already making Shouyo's head throb in pain.

Kageyama's steely gaze met his, his dark eyes harsh and cruel. Shouyo's blood froze over when Kageyama said the next few words,  _"Because I am one of them."_

**+++**

 


	3. Friends and Foes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the revelation, they head to Yachi's house for a safe place to hide. But is it really safe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! We're now on chapter 3. I hope you stay with me on this. This will be long, but this will be worthwhile. Thanks and again, kudos and comments are much appreciated! <3

  
Nothing has changed with Kageyama—he still looked like the same guy who dragged Hinata from the library, bugged him in his work and insisted on staying the night—but somehow, Hinata could feel the subtle difference. It wasn't physically obvious, but there was a rather awkward silence between them. Hinata's head throbbed at Kageyama's revelation.

"Well? Are you just going to stare at me?" Kageyama asked, almost too casually and Hinata admired how he could maintain his cool—very different from him who was completely on his toes now. He noted, however, that he didn't feel any sense of immediate danger, which was also a little odd considering what he just told him.

"W-What do you mean you're one of them?" Hinata stammered, "Are you a— "

"A _brother_. Yes." He finished, "Or I was." He emphasized the last statement and Hinata figured that Kageyama wanted to assure him with that simple statement. It was like him saying:  _It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you._

"But you're a special!"

"And so are other _brothers_."

"What—What are you saying?!"

Kageyama sighed in exasperation, "Listen, I told you what you need to know. The less you know, the safer you’ll be. Right now, we need to leave. Is your house far from here? You need to leave the school."

"My house is three hours from here via train and the last train travelled a few hours ago. But... why would we leave here? The school is the safest place from  _brothers_. It has been fortified with a magical barrier to keep _brothers_ from enter—wait... how did you?!"

Kageyama grinned at him with an amused expression, "Ah, you get it now, don't you? Why was I able to enter?"

"..."

"The barrier was a hoax." Kageyama calmly explained like he was explaining to a clueless child—truth be told, that was exactly how Hinata felt right now, anyway. "A truce was made between the Brotherhood and the Order to keep peace. But that truce was broken three years ago."

Hinata wanted to ask more questions but a deep, hollow sound silenced both of them. It felt like it came a few distance away from the school—it was faint, but it was there. Kageyama cursed again, "Shit, they're almost here. Is there any safe place you can stay for the night?"

Hinata thought of places they could stay for the night. Most of his classmates live in the different dormitories in the university except for Yachi.

Yachi lives with her parents in an apartment complex a few blocks away from their university and he remembered she mentioned how they were away for a conference for a week so they had an extra room to stay into. He wasn't sure about this, but it was, by far, the best chance they have right now. He still wasn't sure if he should trust Kageyama, but he was damn sure that the force coming for them felt more cynical than the boy in front of him.

"I know a place." He said, pulling out his phone to dial Yachi's number.

\---

Yachi was already in her pajamas when she opened the door with a worried smile on her face. Hinata felt a wave of relief wash over him at the familiar face and he automatically smiled back. "Yachi, thank you for letting us in." He stepped inside the genkan and into the familiar warmth of Yachi's home. Her parents have always treated him like their own son and there are occasional times when he dropped by for dinner—especially when he needed a semblance of what it's like to be in a family again.

It was the typical home—with modern furniture, white wallpaper and everywhere you turn, there were family photos framed and hanged on walls or placed on table tops. Their house was very different—Hinata's house had no family photos—like nobody in their family wanted to remember anything.

"Don't be silly. I was worried when you called." Yachi said, brushing off his apology in the typical  _Yachi_  warmth which felt genuinely comforting in tonight, "I'm just glad you're okay. You sounded like you were really in trouble back then."

"Sorry for the intrusion." Kageyama entered after him and Yachi blinked at the taller guy a few times—trying to determine if she was awake or still dreaming. A blush rose to her cheeks as she stared at guy towering over them. No doubt she was also captivated by Kageyama's mysterious eyes—judging from the dreamy look on her face. Hinata cleared his throat to snap her back in attention, "Eh... This is Kageyama. I mentioned him to you on the phone, right?"

Yachi recovered from the initial shock, and regained her composure, although her face was beet red, "Ah yes. Welcome, you can stay at the living room while I make some tea."

"You don't have to do that, Yachi." Hinata said, "We're really tired and it's a bit late. I think it's better if we get some sleep."

Yachi frowned at him, not pleased that she was being left out on something which seemed terribly important but Hinata gave her a tired look, hopefully to deter her from asking more questions. Finally, she sighed in defeat, "Fine. But, you have to tell me what's happening in the morning."

"Okay, I will." It was a convenient lie as Hinata still wasn't sure if he could explain everything to her, but he needed her to leave them alone right now. He has some questions and he wouldn’t be letting Kageyama off the hook that easily.

Yachi looked really flustered when she turned to Kageyama—and she was very obvious with it, too when she stammered, "I'll r-roll out the futons for you. Y-you could stay in my parents' room—you guys are okay with that, right?"

"Yes. Thank you." Hinata said getting more annoyed as Kageyama seemed to enjoy the attention and how he was probably giving Yachi wrong signals with the way he was staring at her. He cleared his throat again and Yachi, as if waking from a dream, apologized and led them towards her parents' room.

The  _tatami_ room was twice bigger than Hinata's apartment and it had sliding doors towards the veranda which faced the road. The space in the middle was big enough for two futons and Yachi helped them out in unrolling their futons before taking her leave.

Hinata watched as a wisp of grey smoke from Kageyama's newly-lit cigarette curled and danced their way through the dark of the night. He looked a little less anxious now, compared to the last hour when they hurriedly packed some things and headed out to seek shelter.

They had turned off the light to sleep but none of them made any move to do so. He just sat nervously beside the rolled out futon, unconsciously staring at Kageyama who had slightly opened the sliding door to the veranda, probably to smoke or to look out into the night. The room was dark and the only light coming in to the room is from the moon outside, casting a bluish light on the boy sitting right beside the open door.

 _"Because I am one of them."_  The words kept playing over and over in his head but no matter how many times he replayed it, they just felt unreal. He wanted to wake up from this terrible nightmare. A cold wind entered the room and enveloped him in its cold arms.

He shuddered not only from the cold but from the fear currently clawing at his heart as he sat there frozen. He feared that taking him in Yachi's place might have been a bad idea. He was too quick to blankly suggest Yachi's place, without thinking about the safety of his friend.

"Neh, are you afraid?" Kageyama's voice broke the silence making him jerk in surprise. Kageyama noticed this and smirked, "You are too easy to read, you know?"

"..."

"Geez..." Kageyama sounded annoyed as he stretched his arms and snuffed out his cigarette in his palm before lighting a new one, "It's not like I'd do anything to you. I don't bite the hand that feeds me, anyway."

There was amusement in his voice which somehow calmed Hinata a bit, "Ah... That's good to know."

"Yeah, so you can relax."

Of course, saying it was easy, doing it was another thing—and though Hinata uncurled his legs to from under him, he was still feeling uncomfortable in the other boy's presence. He wondered if he should start talking about him being a  _Watcher_  or totally just avoid the topic.

"I didn't—didn't think you smoke."

Kageyama shrugged, "Well, I like feeling warmth once in a while."

"Ah, I see..."

An awkward silence followed again and Hinata could see Kageyama getting more and more restless—whether from the situation or from his attempts at breaking the ice, he wasn't sure yet.

"Shit, just go to sleep already."

"Huh?"

"We don't have to engage in small talk." Kageyama barked at him in annoyance and he was thankful that he didn't need to talk about senseless things just to keep the atmosphere less awkward than it already is.

 _But he still had some questions_. "I-I don't think I'll be able to sleep." He admitted with a deep sigh. He instantly regretted this, after seeing a familiar glint in Kageyama's icy eyes, "Ah! Is that so?"

The other boy started to crawl towards him and he instinctively backed away, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What do you mean? That is an invitation to continue what we started earlier, right?"

Hinata blushed at the suggestion. He didn't understand what exactly the boy meant in what they started earlier—if he was talking about the kiss, well, that was totally uncalled for and he didn't ask for it. If he was talking about the time when he pulled him into the futon—that was because he was cold and he only had one futon. "We didn't start anything earlier!" He hissed, "Back away, you idiot!"

Kageyama paused, "Hmn... I guess you're right." He nodded in agreement, putting a hand under his chin and biting the bottom of his lip as if in deep contemplation. He smirked, "But then again, it's not really too late to start."

Undeterred, the taller boy reached for Hinata and his body stiffened in defense. He raised his hand quickly and a burst of bright violet light flooded the room as a violet flame engulfed his open palm, "Don't come any closer." The fire on his hand flicked dangerously—ready to defend or attack, whichever he willed.

Kageyama looked surprised—staring at him in complete disbelief. It was the first time, probably, that he saw violet flames. Even if he was trained by his brother, Shuichi's orange flames looked completely normal. Violet flames, however, were one of a kind even for their family, and it usually left those who see it in complete wonder.

However, the surprise left as soon as it came as an impressed grin broke in Kageyama's surprised face, "It's beautiful."

"Eh?"

Kageyama raised both hands in defeat and moved away, again, "You can relax now. I was just teasing you, anyway."

He wasn't sure if he could easily snuff out the flame licking his hand, as he wasn't sure if he could ultimately trust the other guy but seeing that he had moved away already, he slowly calmed down and the flames died down naturally.

"Hinata-sensei's flames were beautiful, too." Kageyama said as they both settled back to their spaces. Kageyama had lit up another cigarette while Hinata moved closer to the futon, toying with its ends, blankly.

A thought crossed his mind and before he could stop himself, he already spoke about it. "If you're really a  _brother_... did my brother know?"

He chuckled, "I was wondering when you'd get around to ask me that." Of course, Hinata surmised,  _he was just waiting for me to ask it._  It was a pretty logical question, anyway since he claimed that Shuichi was his teacher and now learning that he was one of the  _enemies_  who supposed to have killed his brother, there must be something he should know.

"No, he didn't." Kageyama answered, void of any emotions, it was hard to read if he was lying or saying the truth. Up to now, the boy's poker face was a complete mystery to him, "He was hired by our family and came to teach me to control my gift. But that's it."

"My brother died, fighting one of you." Hinata accused and Kageyama's face gave an expression Hinata never expected to see—something that looked like guilt. Something hit him and anger began bubbling up from within his insides again, "You—Were you there when my brother died?! Was that a lie?!"

"Huh?" Kageyama's guilt-stricken face turned to him with a confused expression.

"Were you one of them?! Those who killed him?! Were you one of the watchers who killed him?!" His voice had raised now and he worried that Yachi would wake up and come see what's going on, but he was just too mad to think about that right now. He remembered how Kageyama told him bluntly that he knew nothing of his brother's death and he easily believed him. But now, after knowing he was part of the Brotherhood, he just couldn't accept that he knew nothing about Shuichi's death. He was the only enemy close to his brother, it was impossible he didn't know anything.

"Did you really think I could do that to my teacher?!" A dangerous glare replaced Kageyama's guilt-stricken face but Hinata wasn't in the mood to back down.

"The Brotherhood killed Shuichi. You're one of them!"

"And specials killed my parents, too! But I didn't blame you!" He hissed back, equally angry and Hinata was taken aback. That was the first personal information, apart from being a watcher, that Kageyama shared to him and it silenced him.

He was being unfair, he knew that. But—it felt right that time. He felt ashamed for selfishly accusing the guy who apart from being pushy and arrogant, was actually pretty harmless.

"If I was there..." Kageyama said silently, "I would have never let him die. I loved Hinata-sensei."

Something about the way he was saying this made Hinata feel like he wasn't being completely honest with him—like he was still hiding something. But Hinata was still too ashamed to say anything so he stayed quiet and Kageyama seemed to accept that.

After a while, Kageyama yawned, "Besides, like I told you. I  _was_  a _brother_." He emphasized on the word again as if to prove a point. He stretched his legs on the floor and regarded Hinata with a bored look, "So really, there's no point of you getting all riled up."

"Well..." Hinata heaved a sigh, but it wasn't of relief, more of he was still unsure how to deal with the current situation he was in. He considered just asking him to leave but that would be too cruel, even if he was indeed a dangerous person. He can't help but think, how Kageyama who seemed to look the same age as him, could be involved in a very dangerous group such as the _Brotherhood of Wings_.

"Stop staring at me like that."

"I'm sorry." He apologized, looking down at the fabric of the futon he had been toying between his fingers for quite a while now. "I was just... thinking."

"And you're using my face to help you concentrate?" He was back to being arrogant and Hinata sighed in relief, knowing that at least, Kageyama was back to normal. Hinata wanted to roll his eyes at him but he took a deep breath instead, "How did you become one of them?"

Kageyama's lips curled in a tight smile, "I was born into it. You might not have heard about this, but some family of  _specials_  have always helped the group."

Hinata couldn't wrap his head around that idea. The Order was protected by a few strong families in Japan, as well as small families which came and disappeared depending on how they went about inside the community. Despite this, if there was one thing that made their organization strive, it wasn't because of the gifts of the family holding them together—but their loyalty. To know that some families under the Order had been working with the  _The Brotherhood of Wings_  just felt improbable—but he had to admit—it was not impossible.

"So your family did?"

"Yes." He answered bluntly.

"That is betrayal..."

He snorted, "Do you think we cared?"

He felt stupid for even saying it. Of course, even before they betrayed the Order, they should have known the consequences if ever they were found out. Clans could be erased in the face of the earth—all family members will be killed, regardless of age. He heard about this from his father, the  _purge_  as they called it. The last one, however, was done many years before he was born and he never heard any latest purge which happened during his time. Which only meant Kageyama's family wasn't found out yet.

"You just shared your secret with me. I could inform the Order and they'd kill your entire family."

It was a bold statement from him, he knew that, but at the same time, he also knew that the threat sounded empty. Kageyama, however, looked impervious, "Do that and you'd just be helping me."

"Eh?" He blinked at him not sure what he meant when a rumble of a car engine outside disturbed their conversation. Kageyama stood in attention and looked out the veranda again, "Ah, he's here."

 _He?_  Hinata was ready to bolt but the calm in Kageyama's voice stilled him, "I thought it would take him long to find us. Sometimes, I forget how obsessed he is with me." He chuckled to himself before turning to the shocked Hinata, "Well, this is where we part ways."

 _Huh?_  He felt a concoction of emotions inside him. He was relieved that Kageyama would finally be not his responsibility—alright, but somehow there was something else— _disappointment?_  It didn't make sense at all since at the very beginning he considered the boy a nuisance or someone dangerous he had to get away from immediately—so why would he feel a little disappointed knowing he finally has a chance now to get rid of him?

Surprisingly, Kageyama had a concerned look on his face as he regarded Hinata. He sighed before giving him an annoyed glare. "You won't see me off?" Hinata blinked up at him, and saw those dark eyes staring back at him like they were hypnotizing him.

He began walking to the door, passing by Hinata who sat quietly as he wrestled with conflicting emotions before he realized what was happening. "Ah, yes." Hinata said, standing up to follow the guy, "I'll walk you out."

They walked silently through the dimly-lit corridors, their feet barely making any sound. Kageyama, however walked a little too anxiously ahead of him, as if something might jump out from the darkness which was really quite impossible since Yachi, it seemed was already asleep. Somehow, Hinata also felt a slight unusual feeling at the back of his mind—like a phantom itch he wasn't sure existed but he dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him. Whatever it was anyway, it felt too irrelevant compared to watching the guy in front of him, stride through the darkness.

When they reached the  _genkan_ , Hinata unlocked and pushed the door open for Kageyama, stepping out before him. Hinata shivered as the cold night wind blew around them. There was a black sedan parked on the road, a few steps away from where he was standing—the same man he assumed he saw in the library, standing in attention by the passenger seat.

The fleeting image of the man he saw back at the library didn't do justice to the man standing before them. The man looked younger, smaller even than what Hinata expected. He also has an unexpectedly gentle face under his curly black hair. Hinata could also see the relief in his dark eyes the moment Kageyama stepped out from behind him.

"Sup, Takeda?"

He didn't respond, but Hinata saw a flash of irritation cross his face before he opened the door for the guy. Hinata watched and wondered why he felt weird watching Kageyama walk away but he didn't have enough time to consider whatever the turmoil inside him was—he just knew that he felt uneasy saying goodbye. The boy was about to enter the vehicle when he finally found his voice and called up to him, "Kageyama-kun."

Kageyama paused, turning his heel to face him, a look of confusion evident in his beautiful face— _Shit, I called him beautiful again._  Hinata blushed and he was just thankful that the light from the moon didn't make it too obvious.

"Umm..." Hinata felt like he should have thought something more before he called him up, but it was too late. The taller boy was now looking expectantly at him.

"What?"

 _What? What did I want to tell him?_  He also didn't understand why he had to call him out of the blue. He was leaving, already. A few more seconds and he would be out of Hinata's life and everything would be normal.

Kageyama snickered and walked slowly towards him, "Right." He reached Hinata after a few strides and before Hinata could react again, Kageyama had grabbed his face and placed a wet, sloppy kiss on his lips. "Nngh!" Hinata gasped in protest as the cold, wet lips moved against his.

"Goodbye." Kageyama released him quickly before walking away again and Hinata just stared at him with glazed eyes, trying to calm his wildly beating heart. The kiss was quick and void of any emotions but it paralyzed him.

He was unable to move even when Kageyama boarded the car nor when Takeda entered the driver's seat, not even as the car sped away and disappeared into the night.

He entered the house again after a few minutes of staring blankly at the road. It wasn't until he closed the door that he realized the unusual tingling he had a few moments ago has returned, but this time it was much stronger. He was sure now that he wasn't imagining things. He looked around and noticed a dark silhouette move in the corner.

A surge of adrenalin pumped him up, riling all his senses in attention and a bright violet flame instinctively ignited on his left hand. "Who's there?"

Slowly, Yachi emerged from the darkness and into the violet light. He almost sighed in relief, except the girl who he had known for years now looked at him differently.

"Yachi? What's wrong?"

She was staring blankly at him, her eyes cold and blank; her body, standing a little too frigidly.

"Yachi?" He called again. She didn't look like she could hear him... in fact, she looked like she was still sleeping, except there was an uncanny glint in her eyes. She moved her hand, slowly raising it to eye level and suddenly, a powerful invisible force hit Hinata, lifting him from the floor and pressing him into the wall of the living room. “Y-Yachi... W-what..." Something tight gripped his neck, choking him and his words disappeared as he struggled to breathe.

The pain from his chest burned, where Shuichi's mark was tattooed, as whips of yellow flames lashed out at Yachi. She jumped away, losing her control over Hinata and he dropped on the floor, slumping on the ground, gasping for air.

The smell pervading the air was a mixture of smoke and burnt flesh and he looked back at Yachi—his friend who was glaring at him like a vicious animal, the skin on her right cheek singed. "W-What are you d-doing?!" He managed to hiss at her but she just stared at him blankly.

"Stop. I don't want to hurt you." Yachi moved slowly towards him, wearing that deadpan expression and Hinata stared at the open wound on her face, confused and afraid. He knew he could fight her, but not without harming her—and he wouldn't want that. Especially now, that he feels she wasn't really the person in front of him.

He picked himself up and dragged himself towards the door. Her eyes shifted to the door and a force pushed him back, throwing him back inside. He crashed on the tables, and he winced as the wood broke under his weight.

"Where is he?!"

Hinata gaped at her as she snarled angrily at him. Her voice didn't sound like her usual voice—it was deep and it sounded like it came from another person—a man. "Who are you?!" Hinata hissed, now convinced that Yachi wasn't the person attacking him right now.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Yachi—or whoever was controlling her, demanded, the voice booming.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FRIEND?!" Hinata yelled, anger now making his heart race with adrenalin. He raised his right arm as violet flames erupted from it, instantly burning away the sleeve of his sweater into cinders.

"EH?" Yachi grinned at him, but the smile was full of malice, "SHE'S STANDING RIGHT HERE."

"What?!"

Yachi pointed to herself, "What do you mean? She's right here." She was snickering at him with a look full of pride.

"Shut up!" Hinata snapped cupping his hand as the flames crawled from his arm gathered into a ball of fire in his cupped hand. It was too hot and he felt the power of his entire bloodline surging out of his body as he glared at whatever assumed the form and claimed to be his friend.

"Oh? Are you sure you want to kill her?"

"Shut it! You're not—"

"Hinata?"

Hinata stopped in midair, gawking in disbelief as Yachi's face seemed to reanimate back into life. Tears suddenly fell from her eyes and she touched her burnt cheek, "What— "Confusion and panic flashed in her eyes as she felt the pain from her wound and realized who caused it. "H-Hinata? What happened?"

"Y-Yachi? Is that really you?"

She fell to her knees as she clutched her face, "It hurts! It hurts! What happened? What did you do?" She wailed and the pain pierced into Hinata's heart. He was on her side immediately, "I'm sorry. You attacked me and I had to defend myself."

"Attack you? Why would I do such thing?" Yachi looked up at him and he was sure now. The girl quivering beside him, wailing in pain was her friend, Yachi.

"I don't know! I don't know, too!" He confessed holding her shoulders to comfort her. Her face was turned down, as she held onto him and cried. He let her do it for a few moments before nudging at her, "Yachi, we need to leave. We need to..."

"You are so naïve." A shudder ran on his back as the man's deep voice came back and Yachi's grip on his arm tightened.

Yachi turned to him with a wide, devilish grin and now that he's this close, he could also see a reddish gleam on her usually brown eyes. She looked menacing and he pulled away immediately, but she wouldn't let him go.

"Are you ready to die for him?" She asked in a silent but deadly voice.

The door burst open, knocking both of them away and Yachi released him reluctantly. Both of them were mowed down by the force on the nearby shelves, causing photo frames to come crashing down on them. He covered his face from the broken glasses falling on him before struggling to look at who was now standing at the broken wood—remnants of what was of the door. The darkness and the dirt swirling in the wind blurred his vision and it was too hard to see who was there.

"K-Kageyama?" Hinata instinctively called.

The man tsk'ed, "Why would you even compare me with that brat?" He stepped inside, skipping over the broken door, "Sorry about the door. I can send someone to repair that for you later."

He moved towards Hinata, the white laboratory coat he was wearing flowing behind him like a pair of wings—his movement was lithe and graceful which was why when his face came into focus, Hinata couldn't believe the pair of dark eyes peering at him with a wary look, "Hey, are you okay?"

Hinata blinked twice to make sure he wasn't imagining things. He wasn't. "Ukai-Sensei?"

His teacher grinned at him, "Ah, so you didn't go blind."

"What—how?"  _What happened? How did you know I was here?_  He had so many questions but he couldn't voice them out.

Professor Ukai smiled at him—a close-eyed amiable smile he rarely used in class, "I don't like my students fighting." He helped him up and Hinata stood in wobbly, unstable legs.

"Eh?" The excuse sounded foolish even for the eccentric professor who walked towards Yachi who was currently unconscious, "Looks like someone from the Order was controlling her."

"What?"

He sighed in exasperation, "See? I knew you guys weren't paying attention during my classes. Telepaths, empaths... anybody who has the gift of the mind, once they reach their full potential, could easily control other people."

"But what did you mean by someone from the Order."

"Do you really want to know why?" He looked worried, for some reason and Hinata felt that he wouldn't like his response. He tried to think about it, and he had the lingering feeling why they came for Yachi. He just had to confirm it, "Because I took a traitor here?"

"Bingo!"

Hinata bit his lip as extreme guilt washed over him. He stared at Yachi who was lying unconsciously on the floor. Ukai Sensei picked her up easily, "Let's go"

"Go where?"

"I have to take her to the hospital." Professor Ukai said, his face becoming more serious, "You, however, have someone to catch up. I can call him after we make sure Yachi's well taken care of, but for now, you can just go with me."

"Wait... who do I meet?"

Professor Ukai regarded him with a bored look, "Who? You just called his name a while ago."

Hinata frowned at him, "How did you know Kageyama?"

Ukai Sensei sighed in exasperation "That brat is unfortunately my sister's son."

  **+++**


	4. The Sakura Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After what happened with Yachi, Hinata and Ukai-sensei leaves for the person Hinata least wanted (or most wanted) to see. More secrets will be revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me until now. I know this is long and dragging but I just hope it's not that boring. :)
> 
> Your kudos and comments inspire me to write more so please keep them coming! <3

  
Hinata shifted uncomfortably on the cool metal bench of the hospital while waiting for Ukai-sensei to come back from talking to the doctor. The night had apparently been uneventful in the hospital and lights along the corridors were muted since it was already too late anyway. A few medical staff were chatting by the nurse station a few meters away from him, while they watched some news from the television.

There was nothing unusual tonight, he figured after hearing the news—no flash reports of a sudden attack in their university came up, and it brought a wave of relief to him, But only for a minute as he saw Ukai-sensei emerged from the doctor's office with a somber look. Though appearing to be worried, Hinata noticed, how his professor actually looked a lot better now compared to how he looked during class, for starters, he looked like he had actually washed his hair and the coat Hinata thought was a lab coat, was actually a grey trench coat over casual jeans and shirt.

"H-How is she?" Hinata asked, his voice echoing in the empty corridors.

"Fine. She's sleeping now." Ukai-sensei said, smiling down at him. He ruffled Hinata's head before sitting down beside him, "She came about a few minutes ago, confused and panicking but she calmed down after they gave her some medicine."

Hinata bit his lower lip as guilt washed over him. He realized that everything happened because he took Kageyama to Yachi's place. The  _Eagles_  were after him, which was why he didn't stay long enough but he guessed that it was too late, anyway since they felt him way before he left.

"Don't beat yourself up too much about it." Ukai-sensei said, probably sensing his distress, "It wasn't your fault."

"Technically, it was." Hinata insisted, unable to look up at the professor, "I was the one who brought Kageyama in her place. She was just too nice to turn us down."

He could cry right now, but he willed himself not to—at least, not in front of Ukai-sensei or anybody in particular, to be completely honest.

"Well, this was just a case of a bad decision." Ukai-sensei said, "But nobody knew the  _Eagles_ would do that, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Using kids to do dirty tactics like that." Ukai-sensei suddenly wore a grave expression Hinata had never seen before, "It's a new form of low."

Hinata didn't know how to respond. Ukai-sensei said that he was Kageyama's uncle—at least on his mother's side, which was probably why he wasn't carrying the name, but did he knew about his nephew and the rest of the family acting as Eagles? Furthermore, is he one of them?

"So he told you, huh?"

"Huh?"

Ukai-sensei regarded him with a knowing smile, "He told you his secret, didn't he?"

"I... uh..."

"You don't have to pretend not to know, Hinata." He said, "I'm his mother's younger brother. I ought to know."

Hinata blinked at him, shocked at this. He knew the professor was considered eccentric with all his weird quirks, but he also knew that because of the man's power, he had risen to the ranks of the Order and was considered a  _genius_  in their organization. Hinata wondered what was more shocking, though, the fact that he has an older sister or the fact that he knew that older sister of his was part of the  _traitors_.

The professor noticed how Hinata was staring blankly ahead, with the conflicting emotions evident on his face and he gave him a small smile as if to appease him, "You look really beat up."

Hinata blinked up at him, "Ah, yes. It was a terribly long night."

"I suppose." The professor stood up, "You ought to take some rest but I'm afraid you have to put up with it for a little longer. We need to get going."

"Go where?"

"To that brat."

Hinata froze on the spot, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Eh? Why so? You were so willing to protect him from whoever was controlling Yachi, right?"

Hinata frowned at the professor, "No... I just sort of didn't understand what they were referring to when he asked where Kageyama was."

It was half the truth, but he couldn't help but wonder if he totally understood what the question meant—would he have actually told on him? He probably still wouldn't. Not because he was concerned about the guy or anything, but he didn't want to be responsible for anything that might befall him.

Ukai-sensei seemed to consider this, "Well, that sucks because you could really use his help now."

Hinata turned to him with a confused face, "How so?" To which the professor grinned, "That dumb brat may not look like it but he is actually the head of the Kageyama family."

"Eh?" He couldn't believe it—though if he tried to think about it, it would make a bit of sense with how he orders people around and how he imposes himself on other people, simply because he was used to getting his way most of the time probably after being treated as a pompous young master all his life. However, this is also the reason why Hinata found it hard to wrap his head around the entire idea of Kageyama being the head of the family. He was impulsive, pushy and downright arrogant.

"You look surprised." Ukai-sensei grinned, "That's not surprising considering the snotty attitude that spoiled brat has."

"Um... I'm sorry. I was just..."  _not expecting it._

"You don't have to explain. Besides, since he left their house, his sister Kiyoko is taking over for now. She's quite capable, but it wouldn't bode well with the rest of the family if she stayed the head for good."

That made sense, Hinata thought, in their family, the eldest  _son_  will always take over the family after the death of the current head. Though having a female head for at least until the successor was ready could be allowed, having it permanently could be frowned upon by the entire family, especially if there were still younger brothers of the deceased head of the family.

"Are they a large family?"

"His father is an only child, if that's what you're asking." He said, "So Kageyama will have to come home, eventually."

Hinata sighed deeply. Despite knowing all of these, he still didn't understand why he couldn't just go home to his family and stay there. The Hinata’s were indeed a great force to be reckoned with, too. If it was indeed too dangerous to be staying here, shouldn't he stick to the people who would fight for him until the end, even sacrificing their lives— _that's it._  He realized immediately why he shouldn't go home. His family would die protecting him, if need be and he couldn't risk that.

"You just realized it now, didn't you?" Ukai-sensei gave him another knowing smile and he hated it as much as he hated knowing he was right.

He nodded reluctantly, "I guess..." Of course, he couldn't involve his family in this mess. It would be bad if the Eagles went after them even so, if the Order knew Hinata had helped one of the Eagles escape, hurting one of the specials in the process because that would be treason.

_Still, he couldn't help but wonder..._

"Don't worry. He's actually a good kid. He was the one who told me to watch over you when he left. Which was actually a good thing, considering what happened." Ukai-sensei smiled gently at his surprised face, "I've known him since he was a kid. Also learned about how he left their home and irked his older sister by telling her, he is quitting their  _group._ " He chuckled and shook his head, "That brat. As if he could do that."

Hinata understood full well what the professor meant. No matter how much Kageyama wanted to leave, he could never quit his family. If Kageyama chose to not return—with no heir in the head of the family, power would be transferred to other smaller families. The clan must survive, anyway.

Ukai-sensei stood up and turned to him expectantly, "Well, shall we go now? I still have a class to attend to tomorrow."

\---

Ukai-sensei had brought his car, thankfully—it wasn't as handsome as the car who picked up Kageyama, but it was way better than walking or commuting to wherever the guy was. He settled silently on the driver's seat, finally finding a bit of peace in this confusing, chaotic situation he found himself in. The exhaustion of the terribly long night caught up with him and he found himself sinking into the comfort of the padded seat.

When he came about, he noticed that the car engine was off and they had already stopped moving. Ukai-sensei, however, wasn't on the seat next to his which made him panic for a few moments before he realized someone was standing right by his side of the door and knocking calmly on the window.

He blinked at the man twice, adjusting his eyes on the dark before he recognized the gentle face of Takeda. He unlocked the door and the man opened the door for him, "Welcome, Hinata-kun. Keishin-sama asked me to check on you."

Hinata stepped out of the car and the cold wind once again swirled around him. It took a few moments for him to take on his surroundings. He wasn't sure how long they were driving, but judging from the sluggishness he was still feeling, he figured it wasn't that very long... and yet he found himself in a terribly unfamiliar place surrounded by giant trees and thick shrubbery, he couldn't even see the night sky properly. He was in the middle of a forest and he wondered how they came here when there was no evident road to suggest this was still part of the city.

"This way, Hinata-kun." Takeda maintained the air of formality in him, even while caught in this awkward situation. Hinata looked at where he was leading him and finally noticed a huge, traditional looking mansion a few meters away from where they were standing. The entrance was strategically covered with bushes that it was a bit hard to see it, especially in the dark but he could faintly see the  _torii_ standing tall amidst the greenery.

"Please, follow me." The man said calmly as they moved towards the mansion. He was nice enough to hold off the bushes for him so he could easily trace his steps towards where they were going and before long, he was already standing on the pebbled steps of the garden leading to the house. It was a huge place with stone walls around the perimeter and what used to be a beautiful garden weathered by time. There were wild bushes and weeds everywhere—the entire place looked like a forest. Except there was a particularly beautiful sakura tree sitting unsuitably in the middle of all the chaos—with its huge branches filled with soft pink blossoms swaying in the evening breeze. It was the only beauty present in the dreary place and it offered a sort of comfort the more Hinata looked at it.

The house looked awfully abandoned, and if not for Takeda who remained beside him, he would have never set foot on this kind of place. It spooked the hell out of him. There were no lights in the entire place... except for one room to the left which had a lamp hanging right by the sliding door. He figured they would be going to that place and his feet instinctively walked towards it.

He climbed up the steps and onto the  _engawa,_ trotting his way through the dark before reaching the door, Takeda right behind him. He could already hear bickering voices coming from the room and before Takeda could open the door for him, the door slid open forcefully and Ukai-sensei marched out huffing in anger, "You stupid brat! How dare you lecture me when I'm older than you?!"

He noticed Hinata gawking at him and his voice calmed down, "Oh, Hinata, you're awake, now." At the sound of his name, another person emerged from the room and Hinata couldn't help but stare at how different the person standing right in front of him.

 _Ah, he could see it now. The head of the family aura in him was right there._ Kageyama had apparently exchanged his black hooded vest and black jeans to a traditional black  _kimono_  and grey  _hakama_. The black  _haori_  he has worn over his kimono was also dancing with the wind, shifting in his every move. It was mesmerizing—to say the least.

Seeing men in traditional clothes wasn't new to Hinata, even he, had to wear one during important family ceremonies. However, he was sure he had never seen anybody look as good as Kageyama, not even Shuichi who usually received praises from everyone every time he does wear one. He looked like a regal prince from the Shogun era of Japan.

Kageyama smirked at him, "You really should see your face right now."

Hinata blushed profusely at that, averting his eyes too look on the floor, "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He said, remembering his manners.

"Stop teasing him, you brat." Ukai-sensei said, lighting a cigarette.

Kageyama turned his steely gaze at the professor's back and marched towards him, hands closed in an angry fist.

_THOCK!_

"AW! What did you hit me for?!"Ukai-sensei reached out the back of his head—on the spot where Kageyama slugged him.

"I told you to go give your respect you perverted old man!"

"Fuck off, Tobio! This is not your realm!"

"This is my mother's home! You ought to pay respect!"

"You bastard! This was also my house!"

"You left this home, you old fart!"

"You left yours, too! So you're not any better, stupid brat!"

Hinata watched the exchange in a daze. They continued bickering and calling each other names until finally Takeda who was standing silently beside him, finally cleared his throat and walked towards the squabbling men. "Young masters..." He called silently and in a flash, with lightning speed, he grabbed both men at the back of their collars like how a mother cat carries her kittens. Takeda was slightly smaller than Ukai-sensei, and his body was lithe and slender, but he apparently held so much power, "I really wish you'd start acting your ages. This is the place where Hanako-sama is buried. Please put your childish issues aside and pay your respects."

"Feh!" Ukai-sensei begrudgingly swiped Takeda's hand away and Hinata undoubtedly saw a look of hurt in the butler's dark eyes but it disappeared as soon as it appeared, "You always spoil that brat, Tetsu! It's your fault he grew up to be such a pain."

"Shut up, old fart!"

"WHY YOU?!"

"ENOUGH!" Takeda snapped easily, silencing the two effectively, "I've had enough of this. Behave yourself and talk like decent respectable men even for a while."

Kageyama sighed deeply, "Not until he wears traditional clothes."

"I won't do it, you idiot, so stop pushing it."

Takeda glared at Ukai-sensei and Hinata saw the obvious change in his irate face—something which closely resembled of fear. He sighed deeply, "Fine. Fine. You win, I'll change into a stupid kimono. But just to be clear, I'm not doing this for you, you brat. I'm doing this for Tetsu." He sneered at Takeda, "I just can't refuse this invitation from him."

Hinata gasped in surprise as Ukai-sensei gave a playful wink at the butler who sighed in exasperation and defeat.

"You pervert. Move already." Kageyama hissed walking towards Hinata who felt his coldness even before he put a hand on his shoulder. "You, too." He said quietly.

"Hmn?" Hinata looked up at the boy, shivering at the sudden touch.

"Come on, Hinata-kun." Takeda said, "I also prepared one for you."

They walked away from Kageyama through a hallway beside the only lighted room, Ukai-sensei leading the way and Takeda trailing before them. Takeda had brought a lamp with him and it helped in lighting the way, but didn't remove the eerie feel of the place. When they reached a dead end with two separate doors on either side, Takeda led him to the one on the left side while the professor took the one on the right.

"Your clothes are on the closet over there." Takeda said. Hinata's eyes adjusted as he surveyed the almost empty room. There was no furniture in this room—just a low table in the middle and a big antique cabinet in the corner. He was sure there were some paintings hanging on the wall, but it was too dark to see anyway. Takeda placed the lamp on the low table and bowed low, "I'll leave you to it. I'll be waiting outside. Call me if you need anything."

Hinata managed to utter a soft thank you before the butler left, closing the door after him. He was left alone in the room and only now did he feel an uneasiness consume him. He was inside a stranger's room in a stranger's house about to wear stranger's clothes—surely it would make him feel uneasy, but it doesn't. Truth be told, the uneasiness came from the fact that he was totally, completely okay with what was just happening. He hated to admit it, but Kageyama's presence, though enigmatic to say the least, offered a sort of reprieve from whatever that happened that night.

When he opened the closet, he found the same traditional clothes as Kageyama's only in a different color. He easily put on the white  _kimono_  and blue  _hakama_ the clothes billowing on his lithe body that he chose to forgo the blue  _haori_  which came with it. It took a few minutes for him to tie everything in place but after fixing everything, he walked to the door, only to stop as he heard Takeda and Ukai talking from the other side of the door.

"That brat is really annoying." Ukai-Sense complained, "He got that stubborn streak of Hanako."

"You're quite stubborn, as well, Keishin-sama."

"Geez..." Ukai-sensei hissed in annoyance, "I told you to drop the honorific if it's just the two of us."

Takeda sighed, "I can't do that. Especially not in this place and at a situation like this."

"So if it's in another place or in another situation, you'd be okay?" Hinata could definitely hear the leer in the professor's voice and he suddenly felt inappropriate to eavesdrop on them, but he continued doing so, anyway. Revealing himself would be a bit awkward at this moment.

"No." Takeda said firmly, "You're my master and we're not supposed—"

"Come on, _Ittetsu_. You know you and I are more than that." Hinata heard movements from the outside followed by a sudden gasp, which he thought came from Takeda.

"What are you doing, Kei—Nnnghh...! "Hinata blushed at the sound, getting an idea of what was happening. He clamped a hand over his mouth, afraid to make a sound.  _He certainly should have revealed himself moments ago. He missed his chance now._

"Ahhh..." Takeda gasped after a while.

"Say it, now." Ukai-sensei's voice became a low, husky sound, "Say it, Ittetsu."

"Kei...Keishin..." Takeda's voice was strained and breathy when he spoke Ukai-sensei's name.

"Good boy." There was amusement in his voice and Hinata could almost see him with a smug smile—probably the same with Kageyama's grin."By the way, I really hate how you give in to the demands of that brat. You never spoiled me when we were kids." The professor said again, "We practically grew up together but when I left the family, you chose Hanako over me. I still haven't forgiven you for that, you know?"

"I know." Takeda said in a soft voice, "But my duty is with the family. Not with you. Hanako-sama became the head of the family when you left."

"I left because of you, you airhead." Ukai-sensei's voice was filled with annoyance, but there was a lace of sadness in them as well, "You know the head of the family should produce an heir. I didn't want to hurt you."

"I..." There was hesitation in Takeda's voice, "I never asked for that."

"You didn't have to."Ukai-sensei tsk'ed, "And don't you dare sulk and blame yourself for my family's downfall. It was my choice... and my choice alone."

"..."

"I just really hated it when you chose to stay with the family and not go with me."

"Like I said..."

"Yeah, yeah... I know. You're in love with my sister and wanted to be beside her. I get it, shut it already." Ukai-sensei groaned, "It was my foolishness, anyway. It wasn't like I could force you to fall in love with me."

"I'm... I'm sorry."

"I said let it go. I've been in this unrequited love for many years now. Do you think a little sorry would appease me?" Ukai-sensei chuckled, "You're such an airhead."

"I know. But still, I feel bad for giving you misconceptions about our relationship."

"Well, I'm over it. I can't make you fall in love with me." He said with resignation, sighing deeply, "But if you really wish to make it up with me, why don't you let me have you instead?"

Hinata gasped, clamping down the sound which almost escaped from his lips. His face felt hot with embarrassment at eavesdropping on them.

Takeda cleared his throat, "I would appreciate it, Keishin-sama, if you stop making these suggestive propositions especially coming from you." His voice became formal again and Hinata was half sure his patience was running out.

"Ah, we're back to that." Ukai-sensei chuckled,"Anyway, what's taking him so long? Could it be that he couldn't tie his  _hakama_  properly?"

"I'll... I'll go check on him."

At this statement, Hinata rushed away from the door to the closet, and pretended to be checking on his clothes. The door opened and Takeda entered followed by the professor who he didn't recognize at first because of how clean and decent he looked. He was now wearing a grey  _kimono_  and  _hakama_  with a white  _haori_  on top, exuding an aura of elegance—something he never thought the professor had in him.

"Oi, if you're finished, let us know. Don't just stand there. I still need to get back to the school, you know?"

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"Never mind, let's just go meet with that stupid brat."

They traced their way towards the dark corridor, with only the light from the lamp again. He was grateful that it was dark as none of them could see the blush on his cheeks as the events he heard moments ago stayed with him and kept replaying over and over. The pair didn't look conspicuous in any way—treating each other normally.

"Hinata-kun, are you feeling okay?" Takeda asked making him jump.

"Ah, yes. Just... unnerved, I guess."

"Are you not used to wearing traditional clothes?" Takeda smiled, "I'm sorry. Tobio-sama insists on this as it was the tradition in their family—for members and guests to wear traditional clothes in the ancestral house."

"Don't worry." Ukai-sensei interjected, "I also don't see the point in that. Considering Hanako has already died."

"Ah, but Takeda-san is not wearing traditional clothes?"

"I'm not part of the family, Hinata-kun." He said, "My family has served the Ukai clan for a very long time and had been with them even at its downfall."

"Downfall?"

"Well yes, the downfall happened when the head of the family left and Hanako-sama was forced to marry off to another family."

"Couldn't you put it more nicely?" Ukai-sensei snapped playfully, dramatically wincing to show it pained him. But there was an obvious smirk on his face.

Takeda was having none of it, anyway, "Ever since then, this mansion was abandoned. Although Tobio-sama drop by here often for five years, ever since his mother died. To take care of his mother's grave, especially."

"Oh, I see." They were now at the  _engawa_  and were now on their way towards the room where they came from, "Where is her grave located, though?"

"You saw it when you first arrived." Takeda smiled sadly looking up at the magnificent sakura tree which seemed to look more and more magical the deeper the night gets.

As they neared the tree, Hinata realized Kageyama was standing under it, looking up at the pink blossoms swaying in the wind. He noticed the soft expression on the boy's face—something he had never seen before and he realized how he must have loved his mother.

"Tobio-sama." Takeda called softly and the boy looked at them with bleary eyes. Hinata realized that Kageyama might look tough and arrogant, but deep down, he was still his mother's child and he is probably missing her terribly.

He didn't respond and just sort of acknowledged their presence. Ukai-sensei moved to stand beside him, looking up at the tree, "I must say, you did well in taking care of this tree. I just hope you did the same for the rest of the house."

"Ah..." Kageyama didn't even blink at the jest, consumed in his own world. He wasn't even looking at them—just staring blankly at the tree as if they didn't exist. He didn't even look up even when Hinata and Takeda came up behind the two of them.

Ukai-sensei dug in the pocket of his kimono and pulled out a silver flask. He uncapped the lid and poured a generous amount on tree trunk. Hinata closed his eyes and offered a short prayer in respect for the dead.

"It's been a while, Hanako-neechan." He said as the liquid flowed from the trunk to the soil beneath their feet.

They stayed silent for a while, all of them waiting for Kageyama to snap out of his trance. Hinata couldn't help but feel a certain sadness for the boy standing right in front of him. It seemed like he was finally seeing the boy for the first time, or maybe this side of him. After a while, he gave a deep breath, "I'm home, okaa-chan." He never met the boy's mother, but somehow his words tugged at Hinata's heart.

"Are we done yet?" Ukai-sensei asked.

"Stupid bastard." Kageyama glared at him, walking back towards the house. The rest of them followed, like diligent students. Hinata understood now that even though the professor treats the guy as an arrogant brat, he still respects his status as the head of the family.

"Will you sleep here tonight, Keishin-sama?" Takeda asked.

Ukai-sensei snickered, "Do you want me to?"

"Not in front of me, you perv." Kageyama hissed, "I don't give a shit about you trying to put your dirty hands on Takeda. But don't do it in front of me."

"I assure you, Tobio-sama. Nothing will happen."

"That won't stop him, though." Kageyama said sitting down on the  _engawa_  and looking bored at the rest of them, "So, shall we continue what we were talking about?"

"You mean what we came here for? Just before you insisted on me wearing this stupid kimono?"

"Do you still want to go there?"

"No. I'm tired and I want to go home and curl in my bed." Ukai-sensei confessed, "So have you made your decision already on what you would do about him?" He gestured at Hinata who looked at the two of them confused.

Kageyama sighed, his eyes drifting to Hinata and the boy shivered at the intensity of his gaze. He folded his hands and placed them over his closed mouth as if in deep contemplation. Hinata was already feeling nauseous.  _What if Kageyama decided not to let him stay? What would happen next? Where would he go?_ But he didn't want to seem like Kageyama was the only option he has... he was sure, he could think of something if ever this didn't work out.

An awkward minute of silence stretched until finally, and Hinata itched to say something in defense of himself, "Just to be clear, this wasn't my idea."

Kageyama snickered, "Well, I don't think it still matters, do you?"

"I know. But I just wanted to say it."

"Why? Does relying on me feel that bad?"

"I just don't want you to think that you were the first person I thought about."

Kageyama chuckled at that, "That's a terribly cute thing to say, you know?" Hinata blushed at the unexpected remark. Even so when he said, "Well, he could stay in this place. I've been hiding out here myself, anyway."

"Hiding out, eh? Don't you think this is a pretty crappy hideout considering the rest of your clan knows about this place?"

"And yet none of them dared take me home." Kageyama said, a glint of pride in his dark eyes, "None of them could defeat me. If they tried to take me forcefully, they'll just be asking for their death."

Ukai-sensei shook his head in defeat, "Your arrogance will be the death of you one day."

"You're just mad because I'm stronger than you."

"You'll grow old, too, brat."

"I'll grow old better."

"You got your father's arrogance, did anybody tell you that?"

"That's barely an insult. I also got his wealth and his good looks."

"Hinata-kun, should I show you to your room?" Takeda intervened, ignoring the two guys bickering childishly in the background.

"Um, okay. Thank you."

Kageyama noticed Hinata being effectively led away by Takeda and yelled, "Oi! Take him to my room."

"Huh?"Hinata gawked at him and Kageyama, seeing the uneasy look on his face grinned mischievously, "Don't get any ideas. My room is the only clean one. You'll have your own tomorrow."

\---

"Is he always like that?" Hinata huffed as Takeda unrolled a futon beside one that was already set. Compared to the empty rooms in the house, Kageyama's room looked completely normal—almost the same as his room back in their house. The most prominent feature of the room is the huge open window overlooking the sakura tree in the middle of the garden. There was a collection of books placed neatly on shelves in one corner as well as a low study table close to the open window. It was pretty basic, and didn't look like a room for a head of the family. It reminded Hinata how Kageyama and him are actually of the same age.

"Do you mean the arrogance? I'm afraid so." Takeda chuckled, "But he's a nice kid, deep down."

"Ah, you've been with him since he was a kid right? Are you the same age as Ukai-sensei?"

Takeda shook his head gently, "No. I am two years older than him."

"Have they always been like that?"

"Well, no. They were a little... friendlier when Hanako-sama was still alive." Takeda said finishing up unrolling the futon and regarding him with a small smile, "Tobio-sama was actually fond of Keishin-sama when he was younger. He never really felt that he belonged to his father's family, probably because he got his gift from Hanako-sama."

"Huh? So you mean his gift isn't controlling ice?"

Takeda smirked, "No. That's what many people think, though and I guess he prefers it that way."

"I prefer you not sharing that so carelessly, actually."

Their heads swiveled to where the voice was coming from and both of them saw Kageyama standing, leaning by the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest and wearing an unreadable expression.

"Ah, I'm sorry Tobio-sama."

Kageyama sauntered towards the room, wordlessly and Hinata tensed at his presence. Takeda, however wasn't affected at all and asked, "Did Keishin-sama leave already?"

The question effectively distracted, but irked Kageyama, "You think?! He wouldn't leave without you seeing him off."

Takeda sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples as if a headache is coming, "I'll see him off, then." He excused himself and just like that, Hinata found himself in a room, alone with Kageyama again—twice the same night. This time, though, he was the one borrowing except the other way around.  _How situations could do a 360 degree turn in just a flash, it was actually quite amazing._

They stood there in awkward silence until he finally couldn't take it anymore and he moved towards the recently unrolled futon. "I... I guess, I'll go sleep." He knelt down on the cushion, airing out the blanket so he could slide in. The traditional clothes though seemed frivolous at first, actually felt comfortable.

"That's it?" Kageyama sighed, "Won't you thank me for taking you in?"

"I'm sorry. Yes. Thank you for taking me in." He said hastily to which Kageyama snickered, "That's not a proper thank you, you know? It sounds too insincere."

"Well, uh... I..." Hinata couldn't look up at him from embarrassment—he just couldn't look at the boy especially since Kageyama's voice felt like he was suggesting a different kind of a  _proper thank you. He did kiss me once as a form of payment._

The thought of kissing him again as a sort of payment bothered him—not because he was repulsed by the idea, rather, because he wasn't at all. It felt weird, to say the least, to be okay with kissing another boy. Yes, Hinata never had a girlfriend before, but that's only because he never really found a girl that he liked. But he never liked guys. He knew in his heart that he doesn't swing that way— _so why?_

He was too deep in his thoughts that he didn't realize Kageyama was already sitting down in front of him, touching the back of his head. It was such a gentle move that he couldn't help but blush at the gesture.

"I was worried." Kageyama whispered softly.

"..." Hinata looked up at the boy but his face was turned away to the open window, with an unreadable expression. He wasn't sure what the boy was referring to, and a voice inside him desperately wanted to know but he remained silent, hoping he would continue.

"When that old fart called me to explain what happened, I wanted to see you immediately." He continued making Hinata's heart skip a beat. The confession was too real, too candid, it was almost too painful to hear.

"Why would..."

Kageyama groaned, removing his hand away from him, "I don't know, too, dumbass. Sometimes I don't understand myself too. It's annoying!" Kageyama scratched his head in annoyance and then laid down on the futon, stretching his arms and legs. "Just go to sleep, _Hinata-boke._ "

Hinata didn't know how to react and he stared at the boy for a few moments before resigning to bed. He was tired anyway—it had been a very long night and he didn't know what awaits him in the morning. He was sure though, that whatever will happen next would just have to wait. His strength had been drained and his body was aching in every place imaginable. He just didn't have the time to analyze Kageyama. The moment his head hit the comfortable futon, his consciousness left him.

**+++**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yey for UkaixTakeda pairing! I rarely see fics of them so I wanted to insert them here. At the very least <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> Updates will be made every week (ideally). :D


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